The Little Foxes ★★★★ Young Vic | Dec 2, 2024 - Feb 8, 2025


"It‘s every man‘s duty to think of himself." Uttered by Oscar Hubbard this could be the motto of the entire Hubbard clan, and while brothers Oscar and Ben may ascribe to it, sister Regina totally embodies the selfishness and greed of the nouveau riche family whose deception and manipulation are the basis for Lillian Hellman's play. The narrative which was originally set after the Civil War and the era of the notorious carpet baggers is actually a commentary on conditions that Hellman saw playing out in 1939 as a result of the Great Depression. In both cases, social upheaval leads to the dominance of a selfish and rapacious capitalism that Hellman deplores. In this particular production the time period seems a bit of a muddle. We have references to people travelling on horses and in buggies, while the set, though supposedly the home of a wealthy planter has cheap modern furniture, and the wheelchair used by Regina's husband, Horace, is absolutely 2024. Despite these anomalies, and oddities such as the variety of accents and a maid who casually sits on the arm of the sofa at one point in the play, this cast do a splendid job of capturing the spirit of the work. As Regina, Anne-Marie Duff is marvellously malevolent, and as brother Ben, Mark Bonnar is menacingly machiavellian. Steffan Rhodri as Oscar is convincingly craven and Anna Madeley as Birdie is sweetly vague and vulnerable. On one level it is all great fun, taking us back to the wonderfully evil women of Hollywood's golden age portrayed by the likes of Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck. However, at one point, brother Ben warns that “there are hundreds of Hubbards sitting in rooms like this throughout the country. All their names aren’t Hubbard, but they are all Hubbards and they will own this country some day.” In today's world, Hellman's work could seem uncomfortably prophetic. Plus ça change....

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo Johan Persson

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