Scarlett Johansson Back On Broadway Stage

Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has returned to Broadway to star in a new revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

Johansson last appeared on Broadway in 2010 when she won a Tony Award for her part in Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge.

In Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams' 1955 Pulitzer-winning play, Johansson plays Maggie, a Southern belle who married into a wealthy family to escape poverty.

But she is having problems with her husband Brick, played by Benjamin Walker and fears for his inheritance.

After its premiere on Thursday Johansson told Reuters news agency that she is happy to be back on stage.

"It's wonderful to be back on Broadway. I am born and raised in New York and grew up just dreaming about some day of treading the boards and you know to be able to have this opportunity in such a wonderful production is, it's just a dream come true for me."

Many actresses including Elizabeth Taylor, Jessica Lange and Kathleen Turner have portrayed Maggie.

The Lost In Translation star said that it was a challenge to follow in their footsteps but "seemed like the right challenge for me".

"I knew that I wanted to do it, I didn't know how I would do it, but I knew that I could do it. I thought, I hope so. And it just seemed that all the pieces just fit into place."

Johansson said the part demanded a lot of stamina. "I spend a lot of time on stage, and I spend a lot of time talking to Brick which is essentially like talking to no one at times.

"And I think just the stamina of just doing a three hour show has been a bit draining."

Walker praised Johansson for her on-stage performance, saying: "The fact that she is attractive is kind of the least interesting thing about her.

"She is so highly intelligent, and so is Maggie. In the same way that Maggie is a real modern woman, so is Scarlett."

The revival, the second in three years, received mixed reviews but Johansson's part in it was largely praised.

The Associated Press said: "Scarlett Johansson turns in a nifty turn as Maggie, finding humour and barely hidden desperation in her role as frustrated wife and mother-to-be."

The Guardian said: "Johansson should get plenty of audience members purring. But despite these charms, director Rob Ashford's production is little more than a star vehicle, erratically driven."

The New York Times said it did not live up to her previous Broadway appearance but added: "Ms Johansson confirms her promise as a stage actress of imposing presence and adventurous intelligence."

Johansson is reportedly being paid $40,000 (£25,000) a week for her role as Maggie, plus at least 7.5% of ticket sales when the show reaches a certain financial threshold.

The play also stars Belfast-born Ciaran Hinds as family patriarch "Big Daddy" Pollitt and Debra Monk as his wife "Big Mama".

It will run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway until March 30.