Family matters

Daniel Nelson * Photo of Nickcolia King N’da & Velile Tshabalala by Jahvin Morgan

Chekhov’s Gun is a theatre truism that says if there’s a gun hanging on the wall in Act One it must be fired in the last Act.

Having watched Running With Lions at the Lyric Hammersmith I’d like to suggest other guidelines:

If there’s a serenely happy duo in the first scene, the next scene will spell trouble

If a character has a pain in his chest in an early Act he’ll have a heart attack later

If there’s a secret, hurriedly pocketed letter, another character will subsequently find it or blab out the secret.

If there’s a stiff, austere character, s/he will later have an emotional outburst that will explain why they are so bottled up.

So you can guess some of what’s coming in this unfolding drama about the stresses and strains across three generations of a British Caribbean family. Nevertheless, it’s dramatic, entertaining and gripping. It’s also Sian Carter’s first play (originally broadcast in a shorter version on Radio4 ) which makes it an exceptional debut.

The themes are serious – mental health stigma, sudden death, grief, guilt, generational gaps, marital loyalty, family expectations, religious faith in the face of tragedy. And of course, love.

But it’s not preachy or turgid. It is, as the blurb proclaims, a family drama of love, loss and hope. Five people: taut mother, nursing a secret; peace-making pastor dad; health-struggling daughter; grand-daughter on the verge of a life-opportunity that will take her far from home; and a ghost). They talk, argue, laughe and dance their way through family life, coping as best they can, doing what they think is right for them, clinging together. Superbly written and acted, perhaps a little too long and slightly old school;, but a wonderful evening.

* Running With Lions is at the Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, King Street, W6 until 12 March. Info: 8741 6822/ enquiries@lyric.co.uk