A raisin in the sun
Poetry Hammersmith, London
SINCE its debut on Broadway in 1959, Lorraine Hansberry's “Raisin in the Sun” has become a staple of theater repertoires around the world – and for good reason.
Given its dazzling dialogue, thought-provoking plot and clever humor, it's hard to disagree with Lyric's assessment that it is “one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.”
But even a top-notch creation needs to be executed in the right way, and here a stellar cast does an excellent job of doing it justice.
Solomon Israel as Walter and Doreene Blackstock as Lena lead the way with standout performances, while there's not a weak link in the rest of the cast as they portray the struggles of a black family in 1950s Chicago trying to find a place in a white-dominated world to assert structures and white thought processes.
As a group, the players interact so well that they immediately look and feel like a real family – a family that argues and argues, but that shares a common destiny and a commitment to moving forward with integrity.
That unity will be severely tested with a $10,000 insurance payout until they find a way to move forward in lockstep and leave behind the dingy, cockroach-infested apartment that was their home for so many years.
Set designer Cecile Tremolieres cleverly outfits the apartment with translucent walls, which not only give a hint of what's happening in the adjacent bedrooms, but also give a sense of the rough, unforgiving streets beyond the hallway.
Apart from the occasional accent lapse and a moment or two where the dialogue is a little difficult to understand, this is a highlight of a production that clearly benefited from getting into the lyric well after performances at the Nottingham and Leeds Playhouses is.
Given the popularity of the piece, further productions at other venues will follow in the not too distant future. But this version is nowhere near as good as it could be and is definitely worth watching while the iron is hot.
Runs until November 2nd. Box office: 020 8741 6850, lyric.co.uk
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