Britney Spears as West End Blanche DuBois???

The West End has been the comeback vehicle of choice for many a Hollywood star over the years – but could the tried-and-tested stage trick work for troubled pop singer Britney Spears? Tackling not a musical but rather Tennessee Williams’ classic 1947 drama A Streetcar Named Desire?!

According to the Daily Star, one unnamed West End producer is willing to take the risk and has this week offered the role of Blanche DuBois to Spears, after being impressed by her guest cameo as a besotted tattoo clinic receptionist in American TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother. An anonymous source told the newspaper: “Britney’s been on the list for this for some time but was considered too risky until recently. Her appearance in the How I Met Your Mother changed all that. She had poise, timing and a real flair.”

The source continued: “We’d wanted her for Blanche because even though she’s technically too young to play her, who else could embody this fallen Southern belle so well? Britney’s done it all in her career – from being desired beyond all others to facing ridicule that she can’t quite understand – pure Blanche. She’s living out the story, so to harness that on stage would be amazing for an audience to see – and cathartic for Britney, too.”

The part of Blanche was immortalised to Oscar-winning effect by Vivien Leigh in the 1951 film of A Streetcar Named Desire and was last played on the London stage by Glenn Close in Trevor Nunn’s 2002 production at the National (See News, 8 Oct 2002). No word on who might star opposite Spears as Stanley Kowalski, forever associated with Marlon Brando following his scorching stage and screen turns in the role. Spears has previously been quoted in the media saying she’d like to appear in the West End in a musical (See The Goss, 6 Nov 2003).

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