Play: A Raisin in the Sun
Last night, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for A Raisin in the Sun, at the Lyric Hammersmith. Ugh, what a long journey.. well, has to be done. The Jubilee Line, predictably, was a nightmare - I had to wait for the fifth train to be able to squeeze on. That one turned out to be a bit less crowded - and better yet, there was a spare seat! The District Line, equally predictably, was less crowded, more spacious - no free seats, but someone gave me his. So the journey was a lot more pleasant than it could have been.
Very near the Lyric is a branch of Nando's, so I headed there first - what with the waiting, I was later than I'd have liked, but they are quick. Google Maps completely mistook where I was, of course - just as well I had some idea, or I'd have been very confused! And just as I was about to cross the road to it - OUCH! A sudden twang in my leg, and a sharp pain when I tried to walk on it. Damned if I was going to have traffic honking me - I dragged myself across. Happily, it wasn't far to Nando's, where I felt much better after sitting down.
Service was indeed quick - unfortunately, the food wasn't fantastic. As I explained in the survey they sent me afterwards, "overcooked" pretty much described it. It wasn't dessicated, but it was very blackened, which I don't like. So, the chicken was quite blackened, the garlic bread was burnt at the edges - the mash was fine, albeit served with a big, spoon-shaped dent in the middle. So, not the most terrific meal, but it was fine - and, as I say, a good chance to rest the leg.
The guy at a table just down from mine had a dessert, and the server asked him to fill out the survey after the meal, and mention her name. I wasn't asked - perhaps they reserve that request for people who have desserts..? I'd have loved a slice of their choc-a-lot cake - but we were due to meet at the theatre, so I headed there. Limping slightly. Faced with a daunting set of stairs, I took the lift up the first flight - braved the stairs for the second (the bar is on the second floor), and my leg was already much improved. Most impressed with their Hallowe'en decor:
We met in the bar - too crowded to get a table, you really need to book if you want one. And chatted happily until it was time to go in. I was in the very front row - happily, the stage was set back a bit, which improved the view:
Now, I didn't know much about this play - I had been looking at film listings earlier in the day, and had noticed a film of the same name, mentioned in the listings but no longer showing at time of writing. Checking for showing times, I had a peek at the details - turns out it stars Sidney Poitier! And it's easy enough, in the play, to spot the role he must have played - this is the story of a poor, black family in Chicago. There's the elderly matriarch, who - like her daughter-in-law - works as a domestic servant. There's her son (the Sidney Poitier character), who is a chauffeur. He and his wife have a little boy, and there's the old woman's daughter, a medical student. And they all live together, in a dingy, two-bedroom flat, which provides the backdrop. The old woman shares a room with her daughter, the married couple have the other, and their son sleeps on the sofabed in the living room (not visible from the angle of the photo). BUT.. as the play opens, they're all on tenterhooks - they're expecting a windfall, from the old lady's recently deceased husband's life insurance! and it's a life-changing amount of money..
They all have dreams for that money. The old lady wants to buy a proper house for them all, with a garden.. interestingly, she's looking at one in Clybourne Park, which - as mentioned in the play - has no black inhabitants currently. Now, talking afterwards, we found that interesting - because there's a play of the same name, which it seems is actually inspired by this play, and whose events start an hour after this play ends.. Anyway, her daughter-in-law agrees - but the daughter needs fees for medical school, and her mother is determined to support her in that. Her son, however, has ideas of opening a liquor shop, which prove not so popular with his mother..
Ah, it's absolutely stunning. Thoroughly deserves the hype it generated at the time. The first half is really entertaining - the medical school girl is particularly funny, juggling her studies and her love life; does she go for the rich, geeky guy, or the earnest chap from Nigeria, with visions of independence for his country..? The second half is arguably even more engaging, as the money arrives, and not everyone agrees with what the old lady wants to do with it. What happens later in the play is devastating, as their luck turns against them.. and lo, the old lady's son has to make a life-defining choice.
Terrifically cast, beautifully acted (I could really see Sidney Poitier in the role too, but that's not to downplay the acting skills of Solomon Israel, who plays the part in this play). Despite the harrowing events of the second half, it manages to stay entertaining - and wow, what an edge-of-the-seat drama. Thoroughly deserved the standing ovation it got - I'm sometimes uneasy about those, unsure about whether the performance or the play is being applauded; here, there's no dilemma, it's both! The run finishes on Saturday - for goodness' sake, if you get the chance, run and see it. It's the best play I've seen for a long time.. PS FYI the wine, at least in the Stalls bar, now comes in cans..
On the way out, more spookifying decorations:
Comments
Post a Comment