The cast of Royal Exchange CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. Photo Credit: Helen Murray
Brought to life by the sensational cast whose acting is as impeccable as their singing, Royal Exchange’s CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF is not to be missed.
It’s Big Daddy’s birthday, and you’d be rude to miss it and the family drama that’s about to unveil. TENNESSEE WILLIAMS’ 1955 play, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, is brought to life by an exceptionally talented cast whose catty behaviour lives up to the title.
Big Daddy (PATRICK ROBINSON) is dying, but it’s his 65th birthday, so there is liquor to drink, presents to gloat about and tea to spill; if you can make out a spider web of family drama, that is. Set in deep south Mississippi on a sprawling plantation farm, the largest in the Mississippi Delta, don’t you know. The many rooms in the house can’t separate this disjointed family who all have one thing in common – broken marriages, their eyes on Big Daddy’s fortune and the need to get in each other’s business. Maggie (NTOMBIZODWA NDLOVU) and Brick (BAYO GBADAMOSI) are in a loveless, sexless marriage which Maggie can only compare to her brother-in-law, Grooper (DANIEL WARD) and sister-in-law, Mae’s (DANIELLE HENRY) ever-growing family of eight. On the evening of Big Daddy’s party, no one is willing to tell the truth about the seriousness of his health and their dark secrets until they’re either drunk enough or are forced to spill the beans.
The cast of Royal Exchange CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. Photo Credit: Helen Murray
The opening scene is brought to life in beautiful unison with MILLA CLARKE’s set design, LIZZIE POWELL’s lighting design and NDLOVU’s belting voice, which envelopes the audience. NDLOVU playfully portrays the yin and yang relationship of Maggie and Brick with GBADAMOSI. NDLOVU dominates the stage, charming the audience with her well-timed comedic cues without pausing for breath. At the same time, GBADAMOSI effortlessly portrays the sombre, detached Brick, who’s at the end of his tether and would rather turn to the bottle than face his life and overbearing wife. NDLOVU’s performance is consistently good throughout the play, stealing the show at various moments and offering up a perfect portrayal of Maggie, an anxious overthinker who only ever wants her husband’s love in return for hers.
GBADAMOSI really gets going in the play’s second act; with more lines for his character to demonstrate his talents, he revives Brick, depicting a drunk who’s got his tongue right back from the cat, as his internal turmoil finally bubbles out over the surface.
Equally brilliant is JACQUI DUBOIS as Big Mama, whose accent is spot on, offering softer moments to her harsh exterior, DUBOIS’ dynamic with well-known PATRICK ROBINSON as a long-suffering husband, Big Daddy is well portrayed. ROBINSON commands the stage with his deep husky voice and unforgettable performance.
The cast of Royal Exchange CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. Photo Credit: Helen Murray
As always with the wonderful Royal Exchange, the play is brought together with the great use of staging, lighting, and sound. CLARKE has created a multi-functioning, spinning stage depicting the never-ending drama in this family dynamic. The set has hanging chains, a clothes rack, a transparent mirror and a birthday cake flying in from the ceiling that has a playfulness hanging above the characters’ bad behaviour below.
POWELL dominates the play with powerful, realistic lighting that blasts through the auditorium and audience. The colourful fireworks and crackling storm are a particular favourite which works perfectly with ALEXANDRA FAYE BRAITHWAITE’s sound design and composition. Through the singing – sure to provoke a ripple of goosebumps down your arms – and the realistic sound effects, the audience is transported to a fireworks display, have you cowering indoors as a storm passes, and the deathly silence of a clock tick, tick, ticking away.
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF may have been written nearly 70 years ago, but the themes of death, homophobia and broken families are brought up to the modern-day by a sensational cast whose acting is just as impeccable as their singing. Not to be missed.
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF runs at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until 29 April 2023
Sophia Agnew works in Comms and Marketing after previously studying Drama and Theatre at the University of Hull and a brief stint performing herself. She now much prefers being part of the audience and working in a creative industry. She also has interests in events, house renovation, growing her book collection and finding the best bottomless brunch.
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