Lyric Hammersmith's latest production, Marriage Material, is raking in the rave reviews.
It follows three generations of the Bains family, originally from Pakistan and now living in Wolverhampton and running a corner shop.
The audience first meet the family when sisters Kamaljit (Kiran Landa) and Surinder (Anoushka Deshmukh) are teenagers, balancing schoolwork, shop shifts and caring for their ill father (Jaz Singh Deol). All against the backdrop of late 20th century Britain and the era's prevailing racism.
The closeknit family quickly disintegrates when their father dies, and their mother (Avita Jay) decides she needs to arrange marriages for her daughters. Her plans result in heartbreak, estrangement, hardship and family secrets with Kamaljit and Surinder parting ways for decades.
The moving story, directed by Iqbal Khan, is an adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera's 2013 novel by the same name.
Heartwarming fun
Despite the storyline's heavier plot points, there's a lot of fun to be had with characters making sure the audience laugh, gasp and tut their way through the play.
Ifran Shamji almost steals the show with his portrayal Dhanda, a well-meaning but frustratingly misogynistic family friend who regularly reminds everyone he owns a bigger corner shop.
Mrs Bains quickly becomes a crowd favourite. Her want to protect her children and support their dreams, all while balancing community expectations and the pressures of raising daughters has the audience cheering her on from the very beginning.
While Surinder's wet blanket of a love interest Jim (Tommy Belshaw) quickly becomes public enemy number one – if the mood of the audience was anything to go by.
From Wolverhampton to London
The cleverly designed set never leaves the stage. By carefully rotating two wooden corridors, the cast change the set from a family home to a 1960s corner shop, a 2025 corner shop, a London council estate, a Wolverhampton high street and more.
The passing of years is shown through the cast who switch to grey wigs, older clothing and walking aids.
Catch it while you can
Marriage Material isn't one to miss. Catch it at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre with tickets from £10 until Saturday 21 June.
