The Little Foxes at the Young Vic

Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes is coming to the Young Vic Theatre, reimagined by Lyndsey Turner (Coriolanus). Set in the early 1900s American South, this adaptation is a gripping tale of greed, betrayal and social injustice, brought to life by Anne-Marie Duff as the ambitious Regina.

Regina is a woman with a sharp mind and sharper aspirations. When her brothers attempt to cut her out of the family fortune, she’ll stop at nothing to secure her share — metaphorically dying for her dreams. Duff’s portrayal is strikingly human, blending ruthlessness with flashes of vulnerability. Turner’s direction even encourages the audience to root for Regina, albeit begrudgingly.

Her brothers, Ben (Mark Bonnar) and Oscar (Steffan Rhodri) are equally determined to outmanoeuvre her. Bonnar’s Ben is the archetypal Southern villain: manipulative, selfish and conniving. While his performance is solid, Ben’s hunger for the cotton mill and his grand schemes lack the intensity needed to truly resonate. Rhodri’s Oscar fares worse, struggling to deliver a convincing portrayal. Though he devises the scheme to cheat Regina and her ailing husband Horace (John Light) with the help of his son Leo (Stanley Morgan), Oscar feels more bumbling than cunning.

What Turner’s production lacks in character depth, it compensates for with pace and tension. The play keeps you on edge, waiting for the truth to unravel among Horace, Regina and her scheming brothers. Blackouts and strobe-like flashes inject moments of suspense, though their effectiveness diminishes over time.

The pacing falters in longer scenes when the men talk business, which drags on. Conversely, the climactic moments – such as Horace’s fatal heart attack – are overblown to the point of losing impact. What should be the play’s emotional zenith feels oddly flat.

Yet, the production’s style and design compensate for these shortcomings. The costumes exude Southern elegance, with Regina’s outfits in particular telling a deeper story. Her pristine shirts and low heels signal her composure, while splashes of colour hint at her flair for the dramatic. Birdy (Anna Madeley), in contrast, is a riot of vibrant hues, reflecting her animated, kind-hearted nature and stark difference from her in-laws.

Lizzie Clachan’s set design adds another layer, though not without its quirks. The furniture, while striking, seems more at home in the 1960s than the early 20th century. This anachronism is jarring but doesn’t detract too much from the overall atmosphere.

Turner’s production ultimately delivers on Hellman’s central theme: greed’s destructive power. Supporting characters Addie (Andrea Davy) and Cal (Freddie MacBruce) strike a careful balance between quiet judgment and resigned obedience, adding subtle emotional depth.

A melodrama for the ages, The Little Foxes is a tension-filled exploration of gluttony, hubris and loss, even if its execution occasionally falters.

Sophie Humphrey
Photos: Johan Persson

The Little Foxes is at the Young Vic from 2^nd December 2024 until 8^th February 2025. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch Anne-Marie Duff talk about her theatre career here: