Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

The unquestionable power of this iconic Tennessee Williams play is brought well and truly to life in this production. Andrews has made a variety of bold choices in relation to set and casting and they pay off well. Sienna Miller creates a husky Maggie and her smouldering sexuality is equally echoed in Jack O’Connell’s Brick. The performances, much like the original film and stage versions, capitalise on performances that are as much physical as they are intellectual.

Although the opening act focuses on the relationship between this extremely troubled couple the play then moves into an incredibly rich ensemble piece and the performances here are equally striking. Colm Meany is able to give his Big Daddy both an appealing and roughish quality and Lisa Palfrey conveys a level of naivety that has to be questioned. This is a family that is determined to tear itself apart and watching them implode is both a torturous and fascinating process to watch.

The contemporary setting highlights the gaudiness of the costuming and containing the action all within Maggie and Brick’s ultra-modern bedroom accentuates the claustrophobic elements of the text. The set is often trashed in ways that act as a good metaphor for the resulting emotional decay. However, these minor touches do not necessarily add a great deal of depth to a story that already has strong universal themes.

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: Johan Persson