Seeing Cat On A Hot Tin roof a couple of weeks after The Little Foxes at the Young Vic Theatre, I couldn't help but draw some parallels. Both are period pieces that feature misogyny and unhappy families manoeuvring and manipulating to get their hands on wealth.
In the case of LF, it's about the spoils of a family business deal; in COHTR, it's an inheritance, but the women's lack of leverage in the fight compared to the men is similar. Both also feature strained marriages, but in COHTR, we delve deeper into the reasons.
The patriarch, Big Daddy (Lennie James), is dying, hence the manoeuvring, except in the case of younger, favoured son Brick (Kingsley Ben-Adir), it's left up to his wife Margaret, aka Maggie the Cat (Daisy Edgar-Jones), to make sure they get their fair share.
Brick only has eyes for liquor bottles. The suicide of his best friend – perhaps represented on stage by a mystery piano player (Seb Carrington) – isn't the only thing he is drinking to forget.
There is little sign of love in Brick and Maggie's marriage, but that isn't unusual among the wider family. Is Brick crueller for simply ignoring Maggie than his father is for showing his blatant disgust for his 'old and fat' wife, Big Mama (Clare Burt)?
Director Rebecca Frecknall's production accentuates the nastiness of Tennessee Williams' script, and in doing that, it emphasises the power imbalance and lack of agency of the women.
Daisy Edgar-Jones plays a wired, sharp Maggie; she's a plotter and pleader, confident and critical, including of herself. She plays on her 'cat' nickname, sometimes a little too obviously, crawling on the grand piano on all fours, but is ultimately fighting a hopeless cause without the cooperation of her husband.
Kingsley Ben-Adir's Brick has a drink-fuelled numbness – his Brick is the most drunk I've seen the character played. His preferred place is sitting on the floor or lying down, perhaps to still the moving room and his alcoholic trembles.
There is obvious impotence in Maggie and Brick's lack of children, but also emotional impotence in Brick's inability to face his past or move forward.
Lennie James' Big Daddy is a force, repugnant in his verbal cruelty and yet strangely compelling.
This is a play of extremes which risks setting out the agenda too soon, but like Little Foxes, the nastiness of many of the players draws you in.
I'm giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Almeida Theatre
Written by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Rebecca Frecknall
Cast includes Daisy Edgar-Jones, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lennie James, Pearl Chanda and Clare Burt
Running time: 3 hours, including a 15-minute interval and 5-minute pause.
Booking until 1 February; the run is sold out, but check the Almeida website for returns.
Recently reviewed
The Little Foxes, Young Vic Theatre booking until 8 February ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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