 Although it was common knowledge that the Old Vic triumvirate had been dismissed , they refused to be drawn on the matter in public , and Olivier even arranged to play a final London season with the company in 1949 , as Richard III , Sir Peter Teazle , and Chorus in his own production of Anouilh 's Antigone with Leigh in the title role . After that , he was free to embark on a new career as an actor @-@ manager . In partnership with Binkie Beaumont he staged the English premiere of Tennessee Williams 's A Streetcar Named Desire , with Leigh in the central role of Blanche DuBois . The play was condemned by most critics , but the production was a considerable commercial success , and led to Leigh 's casting as Blanche in the 1951 film version . Gielgud , who was a devoted friend of Leigh 's , doubted whether Olivier was wise to let her play the demanding role of the mentally unstable heroine : " [ Blanche ] was so very like her , in a way . It must have been a most dreadful strain to do it night after night . She would be shaking and white and quite distraught at the end of it . " 
 Although it was common knowledge that the Old Vic triumvirate <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> been dismissed , they refused to be drawn on the matter in public , and Olivier even arranged to play a final London season with the company in 1949 , as Richard III , Sir Peter Teazle , and Chorus in his own production of Anouilh <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>Antigone with Leigh in the title role . After that , he was free to embark on a new career as an actor @-@ manager . In partnership with Binkie Beaumont he staged the English premiere of Tennessee Williams <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>A Streetcar Named Desire , with Leigh in the central role of Blanche DuBois . The play was condemned by most critics , but the production was a considerable commercial success , and led to Leigh <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>casting as Blanche in the 1951 film version . Gielgud , <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>who</mark></a>was a devoted friend of Leigh <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>, doubted whether Olivier was wise to let her play the demanding role of the mentally unstable heroine : " [ Blanche ] was so very like her , in a way . It must have been a most dreadful strain to do it night after night . She would be shaking and white and quite distraught at the end of it . " 
Although it was common knowledge that the Old Vic triumvirate done been dismissed , they refused to be drawn on da matter in public , and Olivier even arranged to play a final London season with the company in 1949 , as Richard III , Sir Peter Teazle , and Chorus in his own production of Anouilh  Antigone with Leigh in tdatitle role . After that , he was free to embark on a new career as an actor @-@ manager . In partnership with Binkie Beaumont he staged the English premiere of Tennessee Williams  A Streetcar Named Desire , wid Leigh in thdaentral role of Blanche DuBois . The play was condemned by most critics , but the production was a considerable commercial success , and led to Leigh  casting as Blanche in theda51 film version . Gielgud , was a devoted friend of Leigh  , doubted whether Olivier was wise to let her play the demanding role of the mentally unstable heroine : " [ Blanche ] was so very like her , in a way . It must have been a most dreadful strain to do it nite after night . She would be shakin and white and quite distraught at the end of it . "