‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ – Belvoir

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF – BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
DIRECTED BY SIMON STONE
BELVOIR – UPSTAIRS THEATRE
16 FEBRUARY – 21 APRIL 2013

Lea: The opening imagery of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – a revolving stage, turning through multi-colour streamers, as characters emerged and disappeared was… well… hypnotic  Who wouldn’t just lap that up? But then Jacqueline Mackenzie went a little mental. Kind of relentless. The tone never connected with me and therefore the first half of the play was muddied and confused. By the time the rhythm settled down, we were in the middle of a rant by the misogynistic patriarch of the family and I hadn’t yet fallen in love with the heroine. The use of the revolve at the end and the quiet performances reflecting on Big Daddy’s demise were redeeming, but I was left unfulfilled.

Sybil: I love Tennessee Williams – and this play (along with Menagerie and Streetcar) is one of his great contributions to theatre. For me, his portrayal of the American south, the heat and the sweat and the minutiae of the desires and petty conflicts of the characters is grounded in the poetry of the language. The south is there in the lilt of the words, as well as in the sweep of the story. And it’s the clarity of this that makes Williams’ work so accessible – even in another time and on the other side of the world.

Which is what leads me to my main problem with the show: director Stone’s decision to strip the story from the south and somehow try to give it relevance by transplanting it into Australia. In my view, this caused a disconnection which handicapped the production. I think it is an underestimation of Australian audiences to think that we can’t appreciate the universal themes of a work of art without a parochial setting. Where lilting southern accents give Williams’ words and characters depth and soul, the Australian accents sounded shrill and stilted. Maggie’s first monologue was unrelenting and the rhythms fought against the accent, rather than adding to the characterisation.

So while I loved the use of the revolve, and the fluttering curtain of streamers, I was left at the end of this production – much like Maggie – feeling unfulfilled.

Although, I have to say – the shoes in the first scene were incredible. Highlight of the show for me 🙂

IN SUMMARY

PRE-SHOW DRINKS: Dinner (curry and hotdogs!) and wine in the Belvoir foyer
POST-SHOW DRINKS: Lea kicked on with the front of house staff
HANGOVER STATUS: Verging on normal