Skip to main content
Donate to the 95 years appeal
Outstanding US kitchen sink drama
PETER MASON applauds a classic drama exploring assimilation and resistance among poor black inhabitants of a Chigago slum
Doreene Blackstock and Cash Holland in A Raisin In The Sun

A Raisin in the Sun
Lyric Hammersmith, London

SINCE it first appeared on Broadway in 1959, Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun has become a constant feature of theatre repertoires around the world – and for good reason. 

Given its scintillating dialogue, thought-provoking plot and sophisticated humour, it’s difficult to quibble with the Lyric’s assessment that it’s “one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.”

Yet even a top-notch creation needs to be delivered in the right manner, and here an excellent cast does a fine job of doing it justice.

Solomon Israel as Walter and Doreene Blackstock as Lena lead the way with outstanding 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 assert themselves in a world dominated by white structures and white thought processes.

As a group the players interact so well that they look and feel like a real family straight away – one that squabbles and scraps but which shares a common destiny and a commitment to moving forward with integrity. 

That unity is severely tested by the arrival of a $10,000 insurance payout until they find a way to march ahead in step, leaving behind the dingy cockroach-infested apartment that has been their home for so many years.

Set designer Cecile Tremolieres cleverly furnishes the flat with translucent walls that provide a hint not only of what’s happening in the adjoining bedrooms but a sense of the tough, unforgiving streets beyond the hallway.

Aside from the occasional accent lapse and one or two moments when the dialogue is a little difficult to hear, this is a peach of a production that has clearly benefited from arriving well-oiled at the Lyric after runs at the Nottingham and Leeds Playhouses.

Given the play’s popularity, other productions at other venues will come along in the not too distant future. But this version is not far off as good as you’ll get, and well worth seeing while the iron is hot.

Runs until November 2. Box Office: 020 8741 6850, lyric.co.uk

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
flam
Dance / 30 May 2025
30 May 2025

PETER MASON is wowed (and a little baffled) by the undeniably ballet-like grace of flamenco

IT'S JUST NOT CRICKET: Protesters demonstrate outside Lord's Cricket Ground in London, on February 25 2025, against England playing Afghanistan in a Champions Trophy match, as female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed in Afghanistan since the Tailban returned to power in 2021
Books / 25 May 2025
25 May 2025

PETER MASON is surprised by the bleak outlook foreseen for cricket’s future by the cricketers’ bible

(L) Mudlark kneels on a rocky shore, collecting objects; (R) Medieval pilgrim badge. Pics © London Museum
Exhibitions / 22 April 2025
22 April 2025

PETER MASON is enthralled by an assembly of objects, ancient and modern, that have lain in the mud of London’s river

POWER-DRESSING: Miriam Grace Edwards as Mary in Mrs Presiden
Theatre Review / 5 February 2025
5 February 2025
PETER MASON applauds a thought-provoking study of the relationship between a grieving woman and her photographer
Similar stories
CAUGHT IN THE CLUTCHES: John Robyns and Cayleigh Capaldi in
Theatre Review / 5 February 2025
5 February 2025
PETER MASON points out that it takes more than a string of poppy power ballads to make a satisfactory drama
COMPLEX INNER LIVES: The cast of The Lonely Londoners
Theatre Review / 20 January 2025
20 January 2025
MARY CONWAY applauds a brilliant theatrical adaptation of Sam Selvon’s classic 1950s novel of oppression, betrayal and resilience
ON MESSAGE: The cast of The Children's Inquiry
Theatre Review / 15 July 2024
15 July 2024
PAUL DONOVAN applauds a good piece of political theatre that offers a glimpse of how badly children have been treated in the UK
Deborah Ayorinde and David Walmsley in Wedding Band
Theatre review / 7 June 2024
7 June 2024
PETER MASON questions whether the revival of a play about interracial love in the American south has the strength to speak to contemporary audiences