Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Tennesse Williams
The Apollo Theatre
24 JULY - 7 OCTOBER 2017
£40-£110
One of Williams' best known works, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof explores claustrophobic and dysfunctional relationships within a wealthy Southern American family. Subtle yet powerful, the storyline provides insight into the most intimate parts of lead characters Maggie and Brick's lives, leaving the audience consumed by the voyeuristic nature of the play.
Starring Sienna Miller and Jack O'Connell, the play sets itself up for greatness, whilst also putting a lot of pressure on these stars to perform well. The play is directed by big name Benedict Andrews, known for his five star interpretations of classic plays such as A Streetcar Named Desire. Reading other reviews, it appears that both Miller and O'Connell have been given a bit of a hard time, and I'm not sure if the negative reception is wholly fair.
The duration of the first act is dominated by Maggie, played by Miller. It is essentially an hour long monologue, where Brick occasionally grunts in respondence. Miller manages to capture the audience, I for one could not take my eyes off her. Some say that she didn't manage to capture the class or true essence of Maggie - I haven't read the play or seen any other productions so maybe I am missing the point...
O'Connell has been criticised for being void of any character at all, however, I believe this judgement to be unfair as the character Brick leaves little to work with. O'Connell is fantastic in films Harry Brown and Unbroken, where he is given much more vibrant and relatable characters. Even though he does little, I believe that O'Connell manages to capture the complete dislocation and hopeless depths of alcoholism, as well as the disappointing and unfulfilled life Brick is now faced with.
If there was any part of the play that fell flat for me, it was Colm Meaney's monologue as Big Daddy. It took far too long to get to a climax, and even then the climax was underwhelming. Another disappointing part of the play was the set - modernised and sexualised, Maggie and Brick's room is a combination of black leather and bottles of liquor. The walls surrounding the stage are of a metallic gold, and heighten the heat and oppression seen on stage. The props are modernised - including iPhones and music docks, whilst there is a shower to the right of the stage, which appears to be used randomly throughout the play, almost as if it is something to do when direction has failed.
The set did not change for the second act, despite there being an obvious change of scenery. The rest of the cast joined Miller and O'Connell in their bedroom, surrounded by smashed glass, wet carpet and empty liquor bottles. With the children running around and Brick hopping on one bare foot, due to a broken ankle, the whole thing seemed very disorientated, messy and unrealistic.
There were also some unnecessary directions within the play, for example when Big Mama rips the birthday cakes to pieces upon discovery that her husband is dying of cancer, and following this when she joins her son, Brick, in the shower to have a cry. A big question of necessity also lies around the on stage nudity. We are greeted in the first act to the naked body of O'Connell in the shower, later see Miller get topless in attempt to seduce O'Connell, and finally both leads get completely starkers for the closing seconds of the play... But is it necessary?
Sure, I mean, it takes a lot of balls (pun not intended) to get all your kit off in front of a theatre full of ogling strangers. However, I do not feel the show would have lacked this quality if it hadn't of included it. I mean, yes, it did engage us all a lot quicker than it would have otherwise, however, I don't think that's praise for O'Connell's and Miller's private parts, but more a criticism on the overall engaging qualities of the play. In short, if the play was more engaging we wouldn't have had to rely on a willy to get our attention....
Overall, I really did enjoy this production. I thought Miller was a brilliant, encapturing and glamorous Maggie, whilst O'Connell mastered the tortured silent soul of Brick's character. Some elements of the show did seem a bit forced and unnecessary, particularly some of the stage directions, but as a whole it is definitely worth a watch.
OVERALL RATING: ****
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