Marriage Material at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre – review

Based on Sathnam Sanghera’s 2013 novel, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s adaptation of Marriage Material has arrived at Lyric Hammersmith. Under Iqbal Khan’s direction, we take a deep dive into the lives of the Bains family and the Indian immigrant experience spanning three generations, several decades and the heart and soul of the family – their corner shop.

Set in Wolverhampton, complete with convincing and impeccable Wolves accents, the cast does well in keeping them up in this fast-paced and engaging production. Set changes are lively and upbeat with the cast moving furniture in time to catchy chart toppers.

This adaptation of Arnold Bennett’s 1908 novel, The Old Wives’ Tale, is an interesting and entertaining exploration of family dynamics steeped in Sikh culture and tradition, quickly drawing the audience into the complexities of trying to make a life and raise a family in a foreign country whilst retaining your identity. It is all delivered through a sharp and witty script with the cast of eight bringing the dialogue to life in a way that is relatable and emotive.

The play centres on two sisters, Surinder (Anoushka Deshmukh) and Kamaljit (Kiran Landa), their fiercely traditional mother and their extended family. Expectations are high, as is the need to keep up appearances at all times – even in death, even when your children behave in a way that could be deemed as bringing shame to the family.

Surinder is gifted and dreams of being a “somebody” and Kamaljit simply wants to get married, have seven children and eat Black Forest gateau; they are very different but have a close bond. Their father Mr Bains (Jaz Singh Deol) is unwell and his untimely death leaves their mother, Mrs Bains (Avita Jay), having to make some difficult decisions that will preserve their family name, honour and tradition, and ensure the safety and security of her daughters. This decision threatens to kybosh any hopes Surinder has of escaping the constraints of her current life and bettering herself, resulting in her fleeing her life as she knows it. She heads to London with a gora (white man) salesman, turning her back on her family, which makes a devastating impact on the family, who resort to lies and deception to avoid becoming the talk of the town.

As a play focusing on working-class immigrant life in the UK, it would be remiss not to feature the impact this had on the Bains family and it lingers as an underlying theme throughout the play – sometimes subtle and sometimes overtly using racist slurs.

Marriage Material is a play that tackles big themes with a big heart and despite the second half lacking the tightness of the first, it’s a necessary and uplifting production that leaves plenty of food for thought. It’s apt that this will be transferring to the Birmingham Rep, but it’s refreshing seeing regional stories on a London stage.