Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2008

An adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s classic 1950s drama set in the plantations of the American Deep South.

Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a wealthy but dysfunctional Mississippi family in Tennessee Williams’ explosive American masterpiece set in the plantations of the Deep South. The play, produced here in its original version, portrays the larger-than-life characters of Maggie “the Cat,” her alcoholic husband, Brick, and the dominating family patriarch, Big Daddy. A hot-house of corruption and lies, the drama is played out against a backdrop of rampant 1950’s Cold War anti-communism, white domination, racial segregation, and intense homophobia.

Big Daddy …… Joss Ackland
Big Mama …… Gemma Jones
Margaret …… Elizabeth McGovern
Brick …… Marcus D’Amico
Mae …… Alison Steadman
Gooper …… Clive Carter
Rev Tooker …… Roy Dotrice
Dr Baugh …… Kenneth Jay
Lacey …… Ben Onwukwe
With Polly Dartford, Christopher Earley, Zara Mandel, Tristan Pegg as the children.

Directed by Andy Jordan & Ladbroke Productions (Radio) Ltd for BBC Radio 3

 

FURTHER INFORMATION

A star cast led by Joss Ackland as Big Daddy performs the rarely produced original version of Tennessee Williams’ classic drama ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ on BBC R3 on Sunday March 16. When premiered on Broadway in 1955, the director Elia Kazan asked Williams to rewrite the third act, which he did, but the playwright never abandoned his first version, requesting that the audience should be able to judge his original intentions, which this production will allow them to do.

‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ tells the story of a wealthy Southern family in crisis. Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart the dysfunctional Mississippi family. The play searingly portrays the larger-than-life characters of Maggie “the Cat,” her alcoholic husband, Brick, and the dominating family patriarch, Big Daddy. A hot-house of corruption and lies, the drama is played out against a backdrop of rampant 1950’s Cold War anti-communism, white domination, racial segregation, and intense homophobia.

In addition to Joss Ackland, who has long wanted to portray the flawed but powerful character of Big Daddy, the R3 production of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer-prize-winning play includes Gemma Jones as Big Mama, the Hollywood film actress Elizabeth McGovern as Maggie “the Cat”, Roy Dotrice as Rev Tooker, Marcus D’Amico as Brick Pollitt and Alison Steadman as Mae.

Joss Ackland, CBE, who is still making Hollywood films at the age of 80, is best-known for his villainous roles, making his film debut in 1949’s Seven Days to Noon. His more recent films include White Mischief, Lethal Weapon 2, The Hunt for Red October, K19: The Widowmaker. He also won great acclaim for his portrayal of author CS Lewis in the film, Shadowlands.

The third act in this version is a much tighter piece of writing than the Broadway version. Big Daddy who dominates Act Two is a looming off-stage presence in Act 3, and the moral paralysis of Brick is allowed to continue unredeemed, whilst the theatrical fireworks of the thunderstorm are removed, focussing the denouement on the tangled, desperate relationship of Maggie and Brick.

The production is directed by the award-winning director Andy Jordan. His recent radio drama productions include the acclaimed production of Schiller’s Don Carlos (co-directed with Michael Grandage), and The Harder They Fall, an adaptation of Budd Schulberg’s novel recorded in New York. The original music is composed by Jon Nicholls, with technical presentation by Mike Etherden, and the programme is produced by Richard Bannerman and Neil Gardner.

 


 

N.B. Some audio has been edited from the original broadcast version due to copyright restrictions

Writers/Presenters

Tennessee Williams

Editing

Andy Jordan

Director

Andy Jordan

Released

2008

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Select your currency
GBP Pound sterling