Tennessee Williams’ ‘Cat on a hot tin roof’ is the latest production by the Melville Theatre Company on Stock Road, Palmyraand it is showing nightly until Saturday 16^th September.

The play is set in the deep south of America in the 50’s, and the action takes place in Big Daddy’s mansion, where the family have gathered for his 65^th birthday. He is seriously ill so this may be his last celebration.

The scene is set in Big Daddy’s son (Brick)’s bedroom, where his wife, Maggie, is trying by wooing, and otherwise, to get him out of his sullen state. Has she been sexually indiscrete? Or is there a love situation more complex? Whatever it is Brick is slowly drinking his way into oblivion.

Brick’s elder brother, Gooper and his ‘yet again’ pregnant wife are also at the house, not so much for the socialising but to stake their claim on the 28,000 acres of Big Daddy’s estate.

Sue Hayward, who recently directed the very successful ‘Round and Round the Garden’ at the Old Mill, has decided to do something radical to the Melville scene. She has chosen one of the most difficult plays to put on. It has American accents, several sizable monologues, a play which is more about family affairs, emotion and mood swings than action. There are touches of humour, but basically it is a marathon (2¾ hrs) of pathos for actors and audience alike.

On many levels the director and cast have succeeded admirably and it has raised the Melville ‘bar’ (long over due) to new heights. The set is convincing and opulent. The lighting was even and without dark patches, and the sounds off (although slightly clipped) and firework display effects were excellent. The actors all really got into their parts and the characters flowed without fault.

The first act was an almost non-stop 40-minute monologue by Katherine Gauci (very good) as she wooed her husband (Kirk Godsell, who was convincing as the dour, deeply depressed partner). After the interval, sadly several of the audience did not return, which was a shame as the second half was comparatively lighter, with some fun scenes involving the obnoxious niece (talented Ashleigh Zinko) and the parents (beautifully portrayed by Rosemary Longhurst and Mark Kont). A very satisfyingly presented play, but one missed the close-ups and different angles that the cinema was able to give to the play, in order to keep up the pace.

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