This production of the Tennessee Williams’ classic comes straight from Broadway and features many of the cast members that made that show such a success. Director Debbie Allen also makes the trip from New York, directing the voice of Darth Vader James Earl Jones alongside “The Cosby Show” star Phylicia Rashad.
Joining the pair is the Tony Award winning actress Sanaa Lathan and British actor Adrian Lester in what is shaping up to be a highly anticipated production.
When housed on Broadway, the show was specifically approved by Tennessee Williams’ estate as an all African-American production and its transfer to the West End follows in these footsteps – with young black actors from the UK taking up many roles. It is also the first time that the show has been seen in the capital since 2001’s production at the Lyric Theatre.
As well as a star studded cast, “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” also boasts being a Pulitzer Prize winning story. It is set in the Southern state of Mississippi and follows the characters of Maggie “The Cat” (Lathan) and Brick Pollitt (Lester) as they arrive to visit Brick’s family and celebrate Big Daddy Pollitt’s (Jones) birthday. Along with Big Mama (Rashad) and the family doctor, they are keeping a secret from Big Daddy – he is dying from cancer, making this celebration his final birthday. But as well as this signature storyline, we also learn of the unhappy marriage between Maggie and Brick.
Who better to bring the character of Big Daddy to life than James Earl Jones? The man, whose signature voice has made him a household name, has spent many years working as an actor both onstage, onscreen and sometimes lending his vocal talents to the likes of “Star Wars” (Darth Vader) and “The Lion King” (King Mufasa). His onscreen credits include “Field Of Dreams” alongside Kevin Costner and “The Hunt For Red October” alongside Sean Connery, whilst his theatre credits include 1987’s “Fences” and 1969’s “The Great White Hope” (for which he won a Tony Award). His more recent Broadway appearances include “Of Mice And Men” and “The Iceman Cometh”.
The rest of the cast have many credits to their names as well, with Adrian Lester being known to British audiences in the show “Hustle” and movies like “Primary Colors” and “The Day After Tomorrow”.
“Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” is at the Novello Theatre from Tuesday 1st December 2009 (previews from Sunday 22nd November 2009) to Saturday 10th April 2010