Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

In Tennessee Williams plays, reality and art coalesce. Like graphic artists, he employs motifs in his plays.
Williams attacked issues frankly, with incisively realistic dialogue unencumbered by today’s political correctness agenda. They lived! Not surprisingly, this play was a shocker when it premiered on Broadway 65 years ago. It still gives pause for thought today.
Director Alex Lanham recognised this production might maintain BAT’s reputation as they approach their 75th anniversary. It has! Another winner here.
Richard Hunt’s set evokes the period and Lanham’s cast capture the passion and social mores of the Mississippi Delta in the 1950s. The play involves us, challenges and keeps us thinking about the significance of ‘family’, even today.
Act 1 establishes the marital frustrations of Maggie (the Cat of the title), Dominique Mutch who, appropriately, dominated her poor broken man, husband Brick (Alex Comben) with one leg in plaster and useless without his crutch.
Act 2, revelation of the piece, introduces affluent successful plantation owner and alpha male from Hell, Big Daddy. Brilliant in his role, Bill Davies, and Brick shred each other emotionally to the point where Brick accepts his mateship for football colleague Skipper might have been physical attraction; in return, Brick reveals that his father’s cancer is terminal (a secret the rest of the family are exploiting as they shuffle for individual financial advantage).
So Act 3 is Big Mama’s moment. Adrienne Morgan handles the shock, defence and disappointment with fortitude and conviction.
The many supporting actors did themselves proud throughout; no weak links in this chain.
Jay McKee