We find out what is being said about Lyndsey Turner’s new production ofLilian Hellman’s play.
Broadway World: *** “The cast is excellent, helmed by an ice-cold Anne Marie Duff, swaying like a prowling boxer ready for another round. Mark Bonnar’s Ben is as graceful as he is evasive, almost balletic despite his razor-toothed cruelty. Steffan Rhodri’s Oscar is perfectly tuned as the nebbish middle child Oscar trampled on by his pugnacious siblings. But there isn’t much theatrical glue to hold the ensemble and the wider ideas together. It’s case of not being more than the sum of its parts, even if those parts are well polished.”
The Arts Desk: ** “Lillian Hellman’s family feud set in 1900 Alabama doesn’t survive a confused updating.”
The Independent: *** “Duff’s Regina is such a monster in this production that it’s hard to feel any kind of surprise or sympathy, as she manipulates and is manipulated in turn.”
London Theatre 1: **** “Duff exudes excellent stage presence and really gets under the skin of the character, carefully, sometimes subtly displaying her various shades before her true colours come to the fore. The theatre is bathed in complete silence during one standout scene until audible murmurs of shock escape the mouths of some entranced audience members.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “The Little Foxes does not shy away from interrogating past and present issues surrounding patriarchy and capitalism, where Turner’s fierce concept is elevated through its individual performances.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “It’s a remarkably vicious play, and Turner leans into both the Gothic sensibility and the fury. Lucy Carter’s lighting darkens to a success of shafts of light and shadows as the action moves towards its denouement.”
All That Dazzles: **** “The performance of the night undoubtedly belongs to Anne-Marie Duff who is absolutely spellbinding as Regijna. In a true example of a masterclass performance, Duff knows when to hold back, reign it in and sit in the background letting others take centre stage, biding her time for her moment in the spotlight.”
The Stage: **** “Gripping, subtle performances power this revival of Lillian Hellman’s pungent portrait of a wealthy family torn apart by rampant greed.”
The Standard: **** “But bloody hell, I never thought I’d see The Little Foxes, much less like it… and I basically loved it and also admired the audacity of the timing. Family tensions, rampant capitalism, excessive drinking, someone falling over. Yes, this is definitely a Christmas show.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “while Lyndsey Turner’s production is infused with some star-turn performances – in particular the indomitable Anne-Marie Duff as a quietly seething Regina Hubbard and Eleanor Worthington-Cox as her gradually defiant daughter Alexandra – it remains a tricky, hard-nosed play that seems to hold its audience at a distance.”
There Ought to be Clowns: “Anne-Marie Duff’s hugely ambitious Regina wrestling against societal constraints is finely done and Mark Bonnar’s Ben is deliciously malevolent as he sees everything as a game. As a contrast, Anna Madeley is strikingly good as the fragile Birdie, the woman Oscar married for her family’s plantation and is now barely tolerated by anyone, driving her to drink.”
The Arts Dispatch: *** “Unfortunately, though, I simply cannot bring forth an answer to the question of ‘Why this? Why now?’ Hellman wrote this piece 85 years ago when it would no doubt have been groundbreaking. However, in 2024, nothing overly new is said, or even implied here. Yes, the standard mid-century southern state racism, sexism, and incest rear their ugly heads, but this piece does not inspect them in any further depth than the countless other post-war parlour room dramas. Nor does it bring to light any new perspectives on these matters. The women remain abused, the people of colour remain in service of the ever-self-serving rich white folk.”
Time Out: *** “Confusing design quirks aside, it’s a chic and steely revival of a play that is both fascinating and (understandably) rarely done. Regina is an uncomfortable figure – there are in theory good reasons to root for her, but what she wants and does is terrible. Capitalism and feminism are mixed up, in an icky way. Duff humanises her to a degree, but ultimately she is a monster, who seeks not to liberate the repressive society that created her, but to control it. It’s a grim story, lacking in catharsis. But it’s impressively done.”
The Reviews Hub: *** “Together with Andrea Davy as the strong-willed maid, Addy, Light helps restore the balance between plot and character. Yet the story never finds itself elevated in the way a great Tennessee Williams production might. However, both Duff and Madeley do their best to show how Hellman’s women might also be thought of as grand, damaged characters.”
London Unattached: **** “The fortunes and self-inflicted misfortunes of families is an enduring theme which continues to capture audience attention. When Hellman wrote the play, as in our modern day, the lives of the wealthy continue to play out in public glare like soap operas. Only this week we have the latest season of the Murdoch family with brothers and sisters pitted against one another. Life imitates art. In The Little Foxes, we have art imitating life and this is a play not to be missed.”
The Little Foxes continues to play until the 8th February.