What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”, the title taken from a line in the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes, arrives at the Nottingham Playhouse as part of a new UK tour, directed by Tinuke Craig. The play, notable for being the first play by a black woman to be performed on Broadway in 1959, explores various themes of equality, in terms of both race and sex, through the lens of a domestic setting, expertly blending hard-hitting realism against more light-hearted, humorous scenes.
The play begins on a normal morning in the household of Walter Lee Younger (Solomon Israel) and his wife Ruth (Cash Holland). The poverty in which the Younger family lives in is immediately made clear, the family sharing a bathroom with the flat above, whilst their son Travis (Oliver Dunkley) must make do with sleeping on the sofa. Despite this, the family are still full of hopes and dreams (these dreams harking back to Langston Hughes’ poem, a dramatic reading of which opens the play). Walter Lee’s sister Beneatha (Joséphine-Fransilja Brookman) has aspirations of becoming a doctor, whilst Walter Lee envisages investing in a liquor store and sending his son to university.
Those dreams seem to be on the verge of becoming reality, as Walter Lee and Beneatha’s mother Lena (Doreene Blackstock) learns that she is expecting a life insurance check of $10,000 after her husband’s recent passing. Blackstock gives a formidable yet fragile performance as the matriarch of the family, a woman pushing away her own grief and choosing instead to focus on building a better life for her family - especially her grandson. The chemistry between the main five actors is perfect, and the scenes when they are all together are electrifying to watch. The gentle teasing between the various family members, set with an undercurrent of increasing desperation for their financial situation, makes for a compelling introduction to the characters and the world of this play.
At times the pacing of the play is rather slow-moving. Hansberry’s play, which is grounded in realism, sees characters naturally drift off on tangents mid-conversation, whilst busying themselves with day-to-day chores of ironing or vacuuming. This doesn’t mean that the play is not enjoyable to watch – the first-class acting on display from all the cast is incredibly absorbing – but it is a clear shift in dynamic when the plot kicks up a gear in the second act, with the arrival of Jonah Russell’s Karl, a white representative from the local neighbourhood, who presents the family with a horrifying proposition.
From that moment on, the play doesn’t let up, with further twists to the tale introduced courtesy of Walter’s friend Bobo (Kenneth Omole), culminating in a fantastic outburst from Israel in the penultimate scene, as Walter Lee is hit by the realisation that his hopes and dreams lie in tatters (or, to quote Langston Hughes, dried up like a raisin in the sun). The play thankfully ends on a more positive note, although there are still threads left hanging that suggest that things won’t be plain-sailing for the Younger family.
More light-hearted moments are introduced thanks to a subplot which involves Beneatha entertaining two potential suitors – the “fully assimilated black man” George (Gilbert Kyem Jnr) and Nigerian student Asagai (Kenneth Omole as a very different character). The two are almost polar opposites, with Asagai proud of his heritage and eager to educate others, whilst George does his best to fit in with American citizens. Asagai accuses Beneatha of “mutilating” her hair to conform to American standards and encourages her to explore her African heritage. The budding relationship between the two is great fun, and Brookman’s sheer joy when she receives gifts from Asagai cannot fail to bring a smile to your face.
The set (Cécile Trémolières) is filled with symbolism, from the blood-splattered walls to the see-through gauze which allows us to glimpse other parts of the apartment, where actors’ movements slow down and become ethereal. The purposes of this are not clear to me, and whilst one can appreciate the attempts to bring something new to this updated production, the action at the sides of the stage sometimes distract a little too much from the main dialogue. The entire set is surrounded by a box, as though we are peering through a picture frame, which makes for a stark image upon entering the theatre, but perhaps prevents the sound from spilling out into the auditorium as it should, with some moments in the play a little hard to hear.
This play is filled with characters that are easy to relate to and offers a clear image of what life in 1950s America was like for Black families. The dynamics between the characters make this overly-long play enjoyable for the most part, although one couldn’t help but feel that a slightly shorter, tighter script would have made the play a little more palatable. For fans of kitchen-sink drama, this is sure to impress, and worth seeing for the magnificent acting alone.
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