'Relics' review — buried secrets spark a family feud in this hilarious, authentic new play

Read our review of Relics, starring Sally Phillips, JJ Feild, Charly Clive and Sam Swainsbury, now in performances at the Lyric Hammersmith to 18 July.

Summary

• Ben Ockrent's Relics premieres at the Lyric Hammersmith
• The story sees four siblings gather in the wake of their mother's death
• The excellent cast features Sally Phillips and JJ Feild
• Michael Longhurst's production deftly balances humour and heart

Death can bring a family together – or further divide it. When Olivia, Rob, Michelle and Jonny gather to clear out their mother’s home and split its contents, they’re faced with the discovery of a variety of secrets. Out in the open, the truth threatens any possibility of peace among the siblings. Childhood allegiances are reinstated, and old resentments dug up. Confronted with a peculiar ethical dilemma, they regress to their old selves. Ben Ockrent’s charming, darkly comic drama Relics, premiering at the Lyric Hammersmith, twists and turns at a breakneck pace. The subject matter might not be entirely original, but the show is irresistible.

Michael Longhurst directs an airtight company. Sally Phillips is Olivia, plagued by eldest daughter syndrome, still burdened with every typical responsibility associated with her rank; JJ Feild is the hotheaded second-born, Jonny, pompous and self-important, who still rebels in his own problematic ways; third in line, Sam Swainsbury’s Rob is the weak link, the hypochondriac health and safety inspector with a delicate soul; and, last but not least, Charly Clive is youngest daughter Michelle, jaded by a messy upbringing.

Their dynamic is riveting, hilarious, and an authentic portrait of what it’s like to grow up in a large family. Ockrent’s snappy dialogue is filled with witty one-liners, and the script also cleverly alludes to events and figures that don’t hold a definite role in the narrative. We learn that the siblings’ father might have been violent, but we never receive confirmation of what went on, even though his actions still weigh on the now-adult children. It’s a realistic approach to writing a conversation: we rarely feel the need to explain the facts that we’re all already familiar with, after all.

The piece might deal with the bleak reality of the aftermath of loss, but Ockrent finds humour in it. Longhurst leverages these moments of levity and makes them the focus of the production. He elevates Ockrent’s amusing turns of phrase, matching them with a nuanced and sophisticated physical approach in the direction. When the comedy explodes and derails the plot, the next more ponderous moment grounds it beautifully, establishing a healthy tonal rhythm. The performers sustain the shifts in genre as a cohesive group. They’re passionate when they argue, silly when they taunt, and intricately emotive when they bare their souls.

There’s plenty to love in this premiere. The humour is creative, the story believable and substantial, the cast perfectly matched, and the direction is impeccable. It’s unpretentious and genuinely funny, but its thematic layers offer the opportunity for reflection, and its core ideas are solidly thought-provoking. The moral argument at the centre gives way to a more profound investigation into the inner workings of unprocessed grief too: how do you reconcile the truth with the memory you have of a person you love?

Relics is at the Lyric Hammersmith to 18 July. Book Relics tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Relics (Photos by Marc Brenner)