Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith

In a co-production between Lyric Hammersmith and the Birmingham Rep, we are transported from London to the West Midlands. Marriage Material is adapted from the 2013 novel of the same name by Sathnam Sanghera. Inspired by Arnold Bennett’s The Old Wives’ Tale, which centred on sisters working in their mother’s shop, Sanghera relocates the action to Wolverhampton and places the focus on a British Sikh family.

Mrs Bains juggles caring for her husband with running their corner shop. She also has two daughters, who each have different visions of how their futures will play out. Surinder, for instance, wants to study, which is something her father, Mr Bains, simply dismisses. His beliefs are steeped in tradition, and he finds the idea of progress a hard pill to swallow. The second half pulls us to the present day and introduces us to son Arjan, who is forced to return home in the wake of a family bereavement.

Directed by Iqbal Khan with a script by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, we are presented with a sweeping family drama which spans decades. Familiar themes of sibling rivalry and the expectations parents thrust on their children give way to focus on such deeper issues as migration and racism. Throw in bereavement, love, marriage, misogyny and family tensions, and you have a truly epic tale to invest in. It’s no mean feat to condense a novel into a play, but the cast and creatives pull it off with aplomb.

The truly notable aspect here is just how well-drawn and authentic the characters are. A cohesive ensemble cast elevate things further. Anoushka Deshmukh is captivating as the energetic Surinder. Kiran Landa as Surinder’s sister Kamaljit provides a nice contrast, and it’s pleasing to see her character truly transform over the course of the play. Multi-rolling as Mr Bains and his son Arjan, Jaz Singh Deol provides another compelling turn, with his two characters successfully showcasing the generational divide further. Omar Malik also delivers the goods in portraying total opposites, and Ifran Shamji is memorable as family friend Dhanda.

The run time might be a challenge for some spectators, with the first act in particular feeling a tad overlong. Some might also find the occasional moments of melodrama at odds with the overall tone of the production. Nevertheless, this is a play unafraid to tackle heavy themes in an honest and powerful way, providing much food for thought; it’s insightful and impactful. 

Jonathan Marshall
Photos: Helen Murray

Marriage Material is at the Lyric Hammersmith from 22^nd May until 21^st June 2025. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith here: