Is it even a real wedding if there isn't a punch-up? Set in a former mining community in Nottingham, the wedding at the heart of Till The Stars Come Down is between Sylvia (Sinéad Matthews), a local, and Marek (Julian Kostov), who is a Polish immigrant.
The pressure is on for everybody to have a good time, to eat and drink lots and generally dance the night away. But, as the alcohol flows, people become less restrained in expressing their thoughts and their behaviour more reckless.
Live wire Auntie Carol (Dorothy Atkinson) has a self-filter set very low but soon others in the family are catching up. Tensions surface and grievances and niggles are aired with little delicacy.
Sylvia's sister Maggie (Aisling Loftus) is the target of jibes, having moved away from the area a year earlier and not been back to visit. Then there is Sylvia's other sister, Hazel (Lucy Black), who doesn't like that Marek is an immigrant.
Beth Steel's script is rich with subtlety and sharp with pointed remarks. It is witty and funny, but also paints a picture of a community divided and struggling.
Warehouse work has only partially replaced the employment formerly offered by the pits. The lack of opportunity has eaten away at the adults and now the young people, as the lack of ambition shown by Hazel's daughter Leanne (Ruby Thompson) demonstrates. She sees working in a warehouse as her only option.
The dialogue is keenly observed and naturalistic. The superb cast beautifully captures the reality of chaotic group conversations; you don't so much feel like a member of the audience as a fly on the wall at the wedding.
Till The Stars Come Down is a funny play with drama and depth. It taps into the realities of economically challenged communities and explores attitudes towards immigrants and immigration.
It also explores family dynamics. The way some siblings can simultaneously love and extremely irritate each other; be hugging one minute and screaming at each other the next.
I'm giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Till The Stars Come Down is a National Theatre production and premiered at the National Theatre in January 2024. This production is a mixture of original and new cast members.
Till The Stars Come Down, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Written by Beth Steel
Directed by Bijan Sheibani
Starring: Sinéad Matthews, Dorothy Atkinson, Aisling Loftus, Lucy Black, Julian Kostov and Adrian Bower
Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including an interval
Booking until 27 September; for more information and to buy tickets, visit the National Theatre website
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