Tea at Five

By: Matthew Lombardo

Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew

Length: 1 hr and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Joins us for a cup of tea, won't you? Katharine Hepburn beckons us into her Connecticut home for a cozy chat and an intimate look at the legend, and the woman behind the legend. Based on the critically acclaimed New York production, the independent, intelligent, feisty Hepburn comes alive once again when Kate Mulgrew, of Star Trek: Voyager fame, slips deftly into the voice and being of the famous actress.

The tale opens in 1938 when the 31-year-old Hepburn is five years beyond her first Oscar-winning successes. In the middle of a career slump after a series of movie flops, she waits by the phone to hear whether she nailed the part of Scarlett in a film called Gone With the Wind. The story moves to 1983, when Parkinson's disease has left her voice shaking, her hand clutching a cane, but her eyes still shining with intelligence, wit and the wisdom that informs a long life lived to the fullest. Tea at Five touches on Hepburn's turbulent childhood, her 15 year-old brother's suicide, and her 27-year affair with Spencer Tracy.

©2002 Matthew Lombardo (P)2003 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Mulgrew is great as Kate!" (New York Post)

Mulgrew Is Tops as Hepburn

Love Kate Mulgrew as Katharine Hepburn in Matthew Lombardo's THIN playlette. The pleasure is all in the performance, and Mulgrew IS a pleasure and MAKES this otherwise lean piece worthwhile.

Mulgrew delivers mastery

Kate Mulgrew transformed into Katherine Hepburn in this storytelling. Is there anything she can't do?

mulgrew rides again.

absolutely loved it. kate mulgrew is incredible, transporting the listener. A must listen for katherine hepburn fans.

Such talent

I loved it! Kate Mulgrew did an amazing job!
As for Katharine Hepburn - EPIC!

Completely Fabulous

Kate Mulgrew does an outstanding job in this two act play ... Listening to it I believed Katharine Hepburn really was across from me having tea. Wonderful!

Kate Mulgrew plays Katherine Hepburn to a T

Kate Mulgrew plays Katherine Hepburn to a T in Tea at Five in this sad angry look at the actress live in a short play/ audio book. Too bad they could have looked some of the many wonderful and positive things about the woman.

wait... You mean that wasn't Katharine Hepburn?

this is a remarkable performance. I didn't spend a credit on it. I spent the $9.98 on it. I can't imagine what a ticket to this show would have cost.. I feel like I got it for a song. if you reading her books, Born With Teeth, and, hHow to Forget, then you know something about Kate Mulgrew because she's as candid very bold and in those books as she is in this performance of Katharine Hepburn.

Very candid very bold. Vulnerabl and yet ..not not for a minute. her father was dying at the end of this theatrical run. as well as other things going on in her world that she talks about in her books. But this is a glimpse into incredible Talent incredible skill personality and honed craft. You can find interviews on YouTube regarding this performance and others. and she talks about how and preparation and throughout the performance she watched all of Hepburn's movies all of her you have to cool anything any effort that was on on Phil recorded anyway. And she read all the books stuff about Hepburn stuff Hepburn had written. Interviews though those are really really rare I imagine would have been looked at I don't think she ever got a chance to meet Katharine Hepburn. But she did die while the the play was in production. I guess we have all of it here it's a a 1 hour and a little bit more performance. I kind of wish there had been and afterward from the performer or even afterward from someone involved. But I guess there's really nothing else to say it's not about Kate Mulgrew. It's about Kate Hepburn. I'm going to go and download Nosferatu. And pre-order the upcoming book by Joe Hill. Joe Hill it's a Stephen King sign if you don't know. But I want to listen to Kate Mulgrew bring something else to life. after listening to born with teeth, I was hooked. And at the same time I was listening to that and then listening to the next book, I was finishing the seven-year run of Star Trek Voyager on Netflix. And though I never intended to give any thought to watching something is out there, shall we say, and controversial question mark As Orange is the New Black when one Kate Mulgrew was playing red I decided I'd have to have a look. she holds that thing together beside a cast of people incredible riding what it's like to be a woman. It's like to be a woman incarcerated. Who we are as women. Some people watch it because they want to see the sex Kate Mulgrew. She has a history of playing strong yet vulnerable bold candid and Incorruptible characters. so I wanted to watch a bring that to a show of this subject matter and magnitude. and you know what she just did the exact same thing with this audible performance this audible capture of a fantastic visual performance vocal performance Katharine Hepburn. Check it out. listen to the sample and then still don't shake it out it's your loss!

One of the best.

Wonderfully done! Well written and very well narrated. Love to hear more like this.

Fun, Fun and Fun.

What did you love best about Tea at Five?

It's like a radio play.

What did you like best about this story?

To short, I wanted more.

What does Kate Mulgrew bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She sounds like like Kate and makes it seem like you are right there in the room with Kate.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Those damn Cattalillies are still blooming.

Any additional comments?

Just a really fun time listening to this play. Have heard it twice now.

Incredible Performance!

I've just been transported to Katherine Hepburn's home for Tea at Five! Kate Mulgrew's performance was, dare I say it...even better than Cate Blanchett's in The Aviator! She nailed it in all the right places. The story was beautifully written, culminating in a successful meshing of all the major aspects of Hepburn's life. Ranging from strong, desperate, funny, sad, personal and real (with Hepburn's fully dramatic real personality)! I very much enjoyed this play and would recommend it to anyone who loves Katherine Hepburn. I know I'll be listening to this one many times! Bravo, Kate Mulgrew! You are an amazing & talented actor and I only wish I could see you perform this on the stage!