Set on a cotton plantation in Deep South Mississippi, Tennessee William’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a menacing tale of family dysfunction and deceit. The story centres on the birthday of Big Daddy, the family patriarch who is unaware he is dying while his children squabble over their inheritance and other internal struggles.
Tom O’Sullivan plays Brick, one of the lead characters and spoke to OUTinPerth about trying to find a fresh take on this old favourite.
‘It can be a good thing and a challenging thing… the reason that this play has been around for 60 years is because it is a timeless play,’ O’Sullivan said.
‘The themes are relevant to every generation that comes across and there are very few plays to do that.
‘It can also be challenging because there is a very famous film version of it which everyone had burnt into their brains.’
In the 1958 film, Hollywood heavyweight Paul Newman played Brick along side the glamorous Elizabeth Taylor as his Maggie – the film was one of the top ten box office hits of 1958 and was nominated for a plethora of Academy Awards. O’Sullivan said he would make no attempt to try and replicate Newman’s Brick.
‘If Cheree, who is playing Maggie, and I went out there to do Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, we’d no doubt fall flat on our faces and look ridiculous.’
‘…And we’d be doing ourselves an injustice as well because what makes approaching it attractive is engaging your own imagination and you have your own exploration of the character.’
For anyone who has only watched the film, O’Sullivan explained the film shied away from certain aspects of the original and offers a ‘warm and fuzzy’ ending that isn’t in the original.
Don’t miss Black Swan Theatre Company’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof when it comes to the Perth State Theatre from September 10-25.
Benn Dorrington
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