The Little Foxes, Young Vic Review
Written by Becky K for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Audacious, intense and surprisingly funny, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes has made a bold new debut at The Young Vic. Starring Anne-Marie Duff (Bad Sisters, Sex Education), the 20th Century classic is brutally reminagined by Lyndsey Turner through cleverly subtle staging and some fantastic stand-out performances.
‘There are people who eat the earth and eat all the people on it. Then there are people who stand around and watch them eat it.’ The story follows the scheming ambitions of Regina Giddens (Anne-Marie Duff) and her two brothers Benjamin Hubbard (Mark Bonnar) and Oscar Hubbard (Steffan Rhodri). A business proposal for a cotton factory sees the opportunity for the family to gain untold fortune that would monopolise their region in the Deep South. However, a series of events forces the siblings against each other, and would go to extreme lengths to keep money in their family.
Turner does a great job at staging Regina and her brothers to have no redeemable qualities. Regina’s oppression as a woman is manifested in her nastiness, where she uses the misogyny she endures to manipulate and betray, including her husband in ill health and her daughter who is put out and gaslit. Duff’s principal performance is outstanding in her nastiness, which crescendos throughout the production as her manipulation is used against her and loses grip of control.
Likewise, Turner establishes strong female characters in this pro-feminist staging. Anna Madeley’s emotive performance as downtrodden housewife Birdie oppositely displays her female survival through self-deprecation and hides the pain through alcohol. Similarly, Eleanor Worthington-Cox’s courageous presentation of Regina’s daughter Alexandra stands up to the injustices set out by her mother and uncles despite her objections being consistently dismissed and overlooked. All of the female roles successfully shed a different light on how women conform, adapt and survive patriarchal structures, tied up nicely though Andrea Davy’s role as housemaid Addie, who grounds the reality of the family’s greed through her commentary.
A family that capitalises off the labour of those oppressed is reinforced through Lizzie Clachan’s subtle yet totally effective design. The long boho feathers in vases acts as a reference to how the Hubbard family uses the exploitation used within cotton farming to fuel their lifestyle. The minimalist living room setting, with soft-toned panel walls, ceramic vases and trendy green sofa that could be found on most furniture websites also serves as a reminder of how modern day families rely on the labour of underpaid factory staff to provide them with their luxuries.
On until February 2025, The Little Foxes does not shy away from interrogating past and present issues surrounding patriarchy and capitalism, where Turner’s fierce concept is elevated through its individual performances.
At 8 February 2025
★★★★
