A challenging and powerful drama exploring family dynamics, racism, aspiration and the American dream.
A new staging of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is now playing at the Oxford Playhouse until Saturday. This production, brought by Headlong Theatre, opened with the Younger family going about their daily business, the bickering and humdrum, but with the expectation of a big life event about to happen.
Their beloved father has died, and the money from his life insurance policy – $10,000 – is expected the following day and could change their lives. But each member of the family has a different view on how it should be spent – Mama wants to put down roots in a home of her own in Chicago. Her daughter Beneatha has her heart set on becoming a doctor, while son Walter Lee wants to invest in a business.
The play takes us through the ups and downs of this family drama. There was much humour, but also an important reminder of the racist and segregated society of 1950s America. For a 2024 audience, parts were difficult to swallow.
Without giving anything away, this is a thought-provoking story, setting bare the struggles faced by people of colour as they pressed for equality. Each character goes on an individual journey and for Walter Lee, his moral compass was tested to the max. This is a must-see, captivating and engaging piece of theatre with a wonderful twist at the end.
Final mention must go to the cast, including Doreen Blackstock (Lena), Josephine-Fransilja Brookman (Beneatha), Cash Holland (Ruth), Solomon Israel (Walter Lee), who were quite simply fabulous.
When the original play premiered in 1959, it broke barriers as the first play by a black woman on Broadway.
Tickets for A Raisin in the Sun at Oxford Playhouse start from £14 and are available from Box Office: 01865 305305 or book online at www.oxfordplayhouse.com
