Review: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

(Image courtesy of The Marlowe Theatre)

21st October 2021

By Elle Summers

From Wednesday 6 to Saturday 9 October, the Marlowe Theatre hosted Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. As an English student who studied A Streetcar Named Desire for my A-Level, I was excited at the prospect of seeing Williams’ work live on stage. And so, I took to the theatre with a high sense of anticipation and excitement.

For those of you new to the play, the performance is set on the birthday party for Big Daddy with the whole family gathering to celebrate. Yet, there is an underlying agenda as Big Daddy is terminally ill, and so his family want to preside on his good nature in the hope they will be included in the inheritance.

My eye was first drawn to the simplistic staging of the performance. Situated in the middle of the stage was a table surrounded by a circle of thin net curtain, partially obscuring the audience’s initial view of the actors. This allowed for a highly creative blend of public and private space, placing the audience in the role of eavesdropper, just like the other members of the family.

(Image courtesy of The Marlowe Theatre)

The main actors Peter Forbes, Oliver Johnstone, and Siena Kelly playing Big Daddy, Brick and Maggie respectively were all highly convincing, with Kelly’s performance especially standing out. The chemistry, or more accurately lack thereof between her and Johnstone’s representation of Brick made their storyline very believable.

To my reader, though I must make a confession. My usual theatre taste leans usually much more towards musical theatre than it does to a play. I think I have potentially been put off by way too many years of study as an English Student! And so, for parts of the play I did feel my mind wandering to other places.

The repetitive sound of the clock in the background (and maybe the glass of wine) did not help to alleviate the hypnotising feeling of the performance. However, this is not a criticism of the actors themselves, and it is more a statement of my personal taste. For me, this was no Streetcar!

(Image courtesy of The Marlowe Theatre)

To my surprise the auditorium was made up of people of all ages. Despite not being that full, it was clear that secondary school English students made up about 60% of the audience, all of whom seemingly responded positively to the play.

The touring cast of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof have left Kent to move onto Ipswich. But you can check here for more up and coming performances at The Marlowe, and all they have to offer.