Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

After wowing audiences on Broadway, the Tennessee Williams classic “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” makes its way to London’s West End with stars James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad and director Debbie Allen all in tow. The show will be at the Novello Theatre from late 2009 and also stars Sanaa Lathan and Adrian Lester.

James Earl Jones plays Big Daddy Pollitt – the father to Brick Pollit (Adrian Lester), father in law to Brick’s wife Maggie “The Cat” (Lathan) and husband to Big Mama Pollitt (Rashad). The family are assembled at the Pollitt home in the southern state of Mississippi, all celebrating the Big Daddy’s birthday. However, along with the family doctor, they are all keeping a secret from the big man and that is he is dying from cancer, making this occasion the celebration of his final birthday. The story is a Pulitzer Prize winning classic and also focuses on the unhappy marriage between the characters of Brick and Maggie.

When the show was housed on Broadway it was a big event, with a stellar cast and with the approval of Tennessee Williams’ estate, who paved the way for a production with an all African American cast. This is repeated on this side of the Atlantic and promises to feature a wealth of young British talent, as well as British actor Adrian Lester, who lands the role of Brick after appearing in the television shows “Hustle” and “Bonekickers”, as well as movies like “The Day After Tomorrow”.

Meanwhile, James Earl Jones will repeat his performance from stateside, taking on the role of Big Daddy following many theatre credits including his Tony Award winning performance in 1969’s “The Great White Hope”, as well as his performances in 1987’s “Fences” and more recently “Of Mice And Men” and “The Iceman Cometh”. His he best known for his signature voice, which was exploited for the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, as well as King Mufasa in “The Lion King”. However, he has also appeared in front of the camera in movies such as “Field of Dreams” and “The Hunt For Red October”.

Both Lester and Jones star alongside Sanaa Lathan as Maggie, who has been seen in the television series “Nip/Tuck” and the movies “Out Of Time” and “Alien vs. Predator”. Big Mama’s Rashad is well known for appearing in “The Cosby Show”.

“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.