Interview with Sam Alexander

(Image courtesy of The Marlowe Theatre)

6th October 2021

By Katie Daly

With the highly anticipated return of live theatre comes the fantastic opportunity to speak to actors about their time on stage.

I was lucky enough to speak to Sam Alexander last week who is playing Gooper in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, showing in The Marlowe Theatre from Wednesday 6 to Saturday 9 October.

I was interested to hear about how Sam felt about being cast in a show by such an iconic playwright.

Tennessee Williams is ‘remarkable’ Sam says, ‘he writes in a way that you can feel what he has gone through’.

The depths of the raw emotion that Williams paints in his plays is something which Sam has been privileged to explore in rehearsals for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and on stage.

Sam attributes this privilege to the show’s director, Anthony Almeida who has allowed Sam a certain amount of creative control in developing the character of Gooper.

Sam spoke about the ‘private Gooper time’ that this telling of the story explores, allowing the audience an insight into the deeper psychological workings of the character and how this influences his place in the narrative.

I asked Sam what it has been like playing Gooper. Sam enlightened me to the thrilling experience of delving deeper into a character who isn’t one of the four principal roles in the play but allows for the complex portrayal of the sometimes dysfunctional underpinnings of family dynamics.

Sam told me about how he has enjoyed examining the ‘palpably obvious [fact] that Gooper is loved less’ and how this impacts the ways in which the character views himself and his sibling.

I was excited to hear about Almeida’s version of the play and how this reimagining of Williams’ seminal piece of drama from the 50s is kept relevant and engaging for a modern audience.

Sam explained how their version focuses on the ‘spirit’ of the work. The set is kept to a minimum and actors wear modern dress.

The simplicity of the staging evidently reaps rewards as Sam reflected on the ‘still listening quality [of the audience]’ which remains invested in every word uttered throughout the play, something which Sam himself finds ‘very satisfying’ as an actor.

(Image courtesy of The Marlowe Theatre)

After a devastating 20 months, for theatre fans the opening of theatre doors has triggered a sigh of relief and a jump for joy. But it cannot be underestimated the gravity of this reopening for the actors and backstage teams of the theatre industry.

I was delighted to hear Sam revelling in the return of live theatre, which he describes as feeling like ‘an incredible electric charge’ is surging through the audience.

The energy in the audience paired with quality of the drama makes for an unforgettable evening. Sam praises the ‘swirling chaos’ in the way Williams writes which endows Sam and his fellow cast members with the opportunity to think about their personal portrayal of what Sam calls the ‘visceral quality of pain and tension’ in Williams’ work in their respective roles.

I wanted to know why people should come and see this play and Sam’s answer was simple: ‘this is a show about families – a timeless subject. You will almost certainly come away from this play thinking a little deeper about being a part of a family and [ultimately,] being human’.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will be playing at the Marlowe Theatre between Wednesday 6 and Saturday 9 October. Tickets can be purchased here along with other upcoming shows in Canterbury.