University of Oxford Student Season: Trinity Term 2026

By Tennessee Williams

"Make-believe? Of course it isn’t! It’s absolutely real."

Linda and Jim live in a run-down garret. They have made the room into their refuge, a hidey-hole from landladies and late bills. Together they imagine magical forests, laugh among their unpacked boxes, safe in their room, curtains closed. But when Jim leaves in pursuit of his big break, the tower begins to crumble.

This is Tennessee Williams’ rarely staged one-act play. Distilling his rich characterisation into under an hour, it powerfully lays bare how economic realities come knocking and escapism is nothing but a thin, flimsy sheet.