Benedict Andrews directs this new production of Tennessee Williams’ classic play starring Sienna Miller and Jack O’Connell. But what have critics been saying about it so far?
On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real – and which will win out?
The Guardian: *** “The best feature of Andrews’s production is that it combines emotional intensity with a leavening humour.”
The Telegraph: **** ” it’s well acted, stylishly presented and very nicely, erm, tackled”
The Hollywood Reporter: “Andrews and his designer Magda Willi imaginatively replace intimacy with oppressiveness in the Apollo’s proscenium.”
The Stage: *** “Andrews’ chosen aesthetic never completely connects with the emotional world of the characters.”
Evening Standard: *** “Miller turns in a faultless performance.”
WhatsOnStage: ** “too often this show simply fails to ignite.”
Time Out: *** “Miller and O’Connell are, to be frank, limited leads. Nice ideas and some moments of magic but it all adds up to an interesting mediocrity.”
The Daily Mail: *** “Benedict Andrews’s production, set in the modern day rather than in Williams’s 1950s, is overdone. ”
The Times: **** “Fireworks and sizzling Sienna: this roof is more than just hot.”
The Independent: **** “It’s unforgettable and not just because Andrews’s intrepid production leaves the stage covered with ice-cubes and shredded birthday cake. Strongly recommended.”
London Theatre1: **** “This is an intriguing and thoughtful revival of a modern classic, best enjoyed by those who like what they see at the theatre to be thrilling and powerful.”
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will play at the Apollo Theatre until the 7th October. To book tickets visit: Ticketmaster.co.uk, Love Theatre.com, Discount Theatre.com, Theatre People.com and UK Tickets.co.uk.