Cat On a Hot Tin Roof

 

When: 12th December 2024 / 1st January 2025

Where: Almeida Theatre, London

Writer: Tennessee Williams

Director: Rebecca Frecknall

I have now been fortunate enough to see this production twice. Being able to see it both in previews and deeper into its run, it was great to see how things have changed new pieces of direction and development in the actors understanding and performance. 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is, as you would expect from Tennessee Williams, masterfully written, revolving around the relationships between its characters, and finding drama in the tensions between them and the similarities in their flaws.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Kingsley Ben-Adir are the famous names in this cast, and unlike many productions that cast predominantly screen-famous actors they both feel well cast in their roles. Edgar-Jones captures Maggie's catty nature beautifully, in her Act 1 monologue she possesses just the right energy, understanding how to keep such a long and ranting speech captivating for an audience. During my second watch I could tell she had been given much more direction, in particular when repeating lines people had said to her she changed her voice, however I actually preferred her performance before. By having less marks to hit she allowed herself to lose control a little and be taken by the emotion of the words and the character. This being said I still found her presentation of Maggie fascinating to watch, beautifully captured and understood. When I first saw the production Daisy Edgar-Jones was the stand out performer for me, yet when reviews came out they disagreed instead looking at Kingsley Ben-Adirs performance. After seeing the production again deeper into the run I fully agree with them, the first time I thought that his portrayal of Brick lacked development and I couldn't quite place whether this was the performance or the writing as it did create an interesting dynamic between Brick and Maggie. The second time around, his performance started much more reserved and ended fully absorbed by the alcohol, emphasising the effect of his consistent consumption throughout the play. I also found that this development opened up layers of his character, making him much more than his alcoholism and by the end I fully believed he was a lost cause, adding to the perfectly messy and unsatisfying ending. 

One of the defining features of this production is the way every element works together effortlessly to breathe new life into the play. I particularly love the use of sound and lighting, the lighting melts and shifts in subtle blue and white tones working with the music which casts a similar ghostly shadow over the play. All of this conducted by the character of the Pianist, a non-speaking character who at points plays the piano, and in other moments creeps across the stage or slouches in the corner. He is one of the most exciting things about this production, Rebecca Frecknall has taken the brave decision to place on stage the ghost that haunts the majority of the play - Skipper. Whilst its not immediately obvious that this is Skipper, his position in the production grows as Brick becomes more and more consumed by his alcohol. Brick is the only person who seems to see or feel Skippers presence to any extent and as the play progresses they become closer until Brick reaches the "click", it is in a similar point to this "click" that The Pianist disappears, the silencing that Brick has been craving removes the thoughts and memories of Skipper that haunt him throughout the play. Its a fascinating inclusion that brings the production into the contemporary and provides the audience with even more hooks to the characters. It also leads me to believe that Rebecca Frecknall has taken the decision to pose the story from Bricks perspective. From the portrayal of Skipper, the glances shared by Brick and Skipper, the melodies that the Pianist plays and Brick whistles the repeated moments in the end of each act which seem to change slightly each time, the glowing colours, the reflective tiles of the box in which it takes place, the presence of the piano in place of a bed, there is something ghostly, hallucinogenic, alcohol induced about everything we see. 

I have only scratched the surface of this play, there is so much depth and interest in this production and I'm so glad to have been able to see it. If you manage to find tickets for this sold out run I would highly recommend.