Blanche DuBois

Since her debut on Broadway in 1947, Blanche DuBois has captivated audiences. Actors tell us what playing the part of Blanche DuBois means and what it means to them.

Cate Blanchett and Patsy Ferran played Blanche - the so-called Southern Belle from the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, set in New Orleans, near the French Quarter. Blanche is fragile, flirtatious, a lover of poetry. We first meet her when she comes to stay with her sister in New Orleans. Later in the play, she falls victim to sexual violence.

Cate Blanchett says playing the role changed the course of her life and her career. She sees Blanche as a symbol for big ideas - concepts of poetry and brutality - and reveals how much Blanche has stayed with her. Patsy Ferran won plaudits for her portrayal of the part on the West End stage in 2023.

Cate and Patsy are joined by Kirsty Stuart, in the middle of rehearsals for the play, Marge Hendrick, who played Blanche in a ballet version, and Gwendolyn Foxworth, a community actor from New Orleans. Nancy Schoenberger - author of Blanche: The Life and Times of Tennessee WIlliams' Blanche DuBois, explores the roots of the role.

Produced by Camellia Sinclair and Sam Grist for BBC Audio, Bristol

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2025.