Bobbie and I were on a bit of a roll, theatre-wise, at the start of that year, seeing some great productions. This was certainly one of them.
Lindsay Duncan was a most memorable Maggie The Cat and Ian Charleson was superb as Brick; tragically Charleson died just a couple of years after this production. The cast also included Eric Porter, Alison Steadman, Henry Goodman…plus many other fine performers. Howard Davies directed.
Here is the Theatricalia entry for the production.
The Lyttelton is not my favourite place for this sort of play, but somehow this one seemed to work in that space. I seem to recall it received superb notices and for good reason.
Michael Billington loved this production – his review clipped below:
Billington On Cat Fri, Feb 5, 1988 – 18 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com
Clearly Michael Ratcliffe liked it too:
Michael Ratcliffe On Cat Sun, Feb 7, 1988 – 26 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com
There’s little on-line about this particular production, given its antiquity, but if you have no idea even what the piece looks/feels like, here is a clip of Paul Newman and Elisabeth Taylor from the 1950’s film version:
…while the following clip is from a subsequent National theatre production of Cat:
Anyway, the Lindsay Duncan & Ian Charleson version will live long in my memory. Bobbie’s too, I’ll guess. I’d better ask her.
I received some interesting correspondence from Sabrina Gülden in Germany after posting this piece. She gave me permission to replicate the correspondence here:
“my sincere apologies for contacting you but I recently discovered your blog article about Cat on a hot tin roof.
I know it must be a bit strange to get an email from a total stranger but please let me explain…
my name is Sabrina Gülden and I own the probably biggest collection of items from Mr.Charleson.
I research his work and life for years and got some wonderful material and treasures from his friends and colleagues.
Ian Charleson became part of my life and all the items and treasures are stored in a special room.
my main focus lies on Mr.Charleson’s theatre work and besides the legendary Hamlet performance my most favourite play is Cat on a hot tin roof.
I wasn’t able to see the play since I was only eight years old but I have lots of photos, reviews and programmes plus some wonderful scenes from the play giving by the BBC.
I’m always very happy to hear from someone who saw the play and Ian’s performance as Brick.
I’m aware of sounding horribly obtrusive but could you tell me a bit about his performance and your experience watching it?
I guess the second act was the highlight
Mr.Porter was an exceptional actor too as Mrs.Duncan of course.
Again, my apologies for contacting you but researching Ian Charleson is a matter of heart for me.
with very best wishes and greetings from Germany
Sabrina Gülden”
Here is my reply to Sabrina:
“Thank you for getting in touch with me. I do not consider your e-mail to be in any way obtrusive. The purpose of Ogblog is to keep my memories alive, not just for myself but for other people too.
I did also see the Hamlet production, but I saw it right at the start of the run when Daniel Day Lewis played Hamlet:
http://ianlouisharris.com/1989/03/18/hamlet-by-william-shakespeare-olivier-theatre-18-march-1989/
Ian Charleson took the role for a few weeks some months later, as you of course know. I do recall the critics being bowled over by Ian Charleson’s performance as Hamlet and I think I even considered returning to the National to see him in it (Bobbie had missed out on the Daniel Day Lewis evening for reasons long since forgotten). For sure I didn’t go to see Ian Charleson as Hamlet and I don’t think Bobbie saw the production at all in the end.
Coincidentally I had dinner with Bobbie last week and we reminisced about the great theatre we saw back then, not least that particular production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof – so much so that I mentioned it in my write up of our evening a few days ago:
http://ianlouisharris.com/2019/02/28/dinner-at-spring-restaurant-with-bobbie-scully-28-february-2019/
Ian Charleson was exceptionally good as Brick. A damaged hunk with charisma and swagger at times, yet so visibly and seemingly mentally diminished when being bullied by his dad or dominated by Maggie. He was one of those actors who had incredible stage presence. Lindsay Duncan has it too, as did Eric Porter, which explains why the production, not just Charleson’s performance, stands out in my memory as one of the highlights of many decades of theatre-going.
I have checked my log and am almost certain that Cat On A Hot Tin Roof was the only live performance in which I saw Ian Charleson perform, sadly.
I do also recall seeing him in the movie Chariots Of Fire for a couple of different reasons. My date for that movie, a girlfriend named Lisa, was a sucker for a weepy film. But she exceeded even her own weepy reputation that evening by bursting into tears before the opening credits had even started – just the sound of the Vangellis music and the opening scene. But the other thing, relevant to you, I recall about that date is that Lisa seemed just a little too enthusiastic afterwards about the Eric Liddell character, who she kept telling me was “very dishy”. I’d have been a wee bit more comfortable if Lisa had been taken with the Ben Cross look rather than the Ian Charleson look.
I also remember that memory coming back to me so clearly when I saw Ian Charleson live in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof – “that’s the bloke that Lisa went on and on about after Chariots of Fire”. I even remember asking Bobbie about Ian Charleson in that context, after Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. I recall she was very taken with him as an actor but “not her type” as a hunk.
Anyway, I hope those few memories please you and add to your collection/research from those of us who were lucky enough to see him perform on stage.
If you are happy for me to add your request and these additional thoughts to Ogblog I shall gladly do so.
With very best wishes
P.S. One other production in which I might have seen him was Scapino at The Young Vic – the first mention of me going to the theatre in my childhood diaries, which I started at the beginning of 1974:
http://ianlouisharris.com/1974/01/23/scapino-young-vic-23-january-1974/
…but I have a feeling that Ian Charleson might not have joined that production until it transferred to the USA. You might know more about that than me.
Sabrina replied to my reply:
“thank so much for your reply.
it was great to hear from you.
first of all I would be delighted if you put more thoughts and my request on to OgBlog.
I attached you a few photos I brought home from London last year from Cat on a hot tin roof.
I especially love these pics with Eric Porter because both have been so amazing artists and the second act of the play is a highlight.
may I ask you what kind of memory you have about the confrontation between Big Daddy and Brick?
it must have been electrifying…
I’m really happy we got in touch, so many nice people who still remember Ian and I wouldn’t have been able to build up such a collection without his audience and friends.
with very best wishes
Sabrina”