New releases from The Jim Mullen Quartet, Caroline Kraabel/John Edwards, and Matthew Muneses/Riza Printup
Outstanding US kitchen sink drama
PETER MASON applauds a classic drama exploring assimilation and resistance among poor black inhabitants of a Chigago slum
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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.
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PETER MASON applauds a thought-provoking study of the relationship between a grieving woman and her photographer
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PETER MASON is moved by a striking production of Noel Streatfeild’s enduringly popular children’s book
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PETER MASON reckons the NYT’s production of Shakespeare’s comedy is the pick of the Christmas shows on offer in London
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PETER MASON shivers in the under-heated ecclesiastical setting of a concert featuring five 19th-century French composers
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PETER MASON applauds a new drama that looks at knife crime through the lens of a group of young south Londoners
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PAUL DONOVAN applauds a good piece of political theatre that offers a glimpse of how badly children have been treated in the UK
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PETER MASON questions whether the revival of a play about interracial love in the American south has the strength to speak to contemporary audiences
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PETER MASON applauds a pitch-perfect production of the late Brian Friel’s compelling study of gullability and disillusion