Review: Relics, Lyric Hammersmith

Ben Ockrent’s play Relics reminded me of Nachtland at the Young Vic from a couple of years ago. • Siblings reunite to divvy up their dead parents’ belongings. Tick. • A painting is found with a suspected dodgy history. Tick. • Said painting divides the siblings, causing arguments. Tick. Relics has a different comic tone, though. Where Nachtland had dark humour, this is lighter, it has witty repartee with some amusing physical comedy thrown in. The four siblings meet at the family home to decide who will take what of their late mother’s possessions. Olivia (Sally Phillips) is the responsible and organised one. She gave up her job to care for their mother and is concerned about the tree in the garden around which their Granddad’s ashes were scattered. Michelle (Charly Clive) is a teacher and the aloof, grumpy one. Rob (Sam Swainsbury) is kind-hearted but not the most together of people or the most decisive. Jonny (JJ Feild) is the rarely seen, unreliable sibling. He’s arrogant with a…

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