Steel’s play is as important as ever in 2025, and amongst its thought-provoking conversations, it is still delightfully hilarious.

After a run at the National Theatre last year, Beth Steel’s critically acclaimed play Til the Stars Come Down has transferred to the West End for a limited 13-week run.

Officially opening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket this week, the show is in full swing to bring this thought provoking story to new audiences.

Steel’s play is a hilarious yet harrowing exploration of what it means to be family, looking at societal pressures as well as the difference between nature and nurture. Set in a small suburb of a middle-England city, the story centres around Slyvia’s family on her wedding day. The three sisters and their two nieces seem the epitome of a typical family dynamic. Riddled with love amongst their sibling bickering, Steel’s script depicts nuclear family life as many would imagine.

As the women leave for the wedding, we are met with the men of the family, the girls’ father Tony (Alan Williams), Uncle Pete (Philip Whitchurch), Hazel’s husband John (Adrian Bower) and Slyvia’s soon-to-be betrothed Marek (Julian Kostov). They seem every bit the classic family dynamic, even fit with the long-standing tension between brother’s John and Pete. However, as the story develops we slowly uncover the secrets hiding in the family closet.

Slyvia and Marek are madly in love, as expected for a couple on their wedding day, but it becomes apparent that their marriage is not strained by themselves, but by their families’ reluctance to accept their “foreign” partners.

Marek, having come to the UK from Poland, has worked his way up and created a life for himself and fallen in love with a British lady. He is well aware of the Slyvia’s families’ reluctance to accept him, as he is “not one of them”, yet he attempts to ignore their closed-mindsets in order to be with his new wife.

We quickly hear their bigoted behaviour and see that the family are not as open as one might think society would be in 2025.

Aside from this, the insular family has its own drama bubbling away behind the scenes – from affairs, to sibling power-battles, and missing family members. Steel’s script is a compelling study of what it means to be a family in the present day, and that even at a picture-perfect event, it’s hard to hide reality.

Directed by Bijan Sheibani, the show is well paced and staged in an iconic National Theatre fashion, which has been translated beautifully to the West End. The use of a revolving floor adds pace and intent to the show, whilst enabling the audience to feel a part of the wedding breakfast table as it turns slowly amongst the cast’s quickly heightening conversation. It feels incredibly intimate and Sheibani cleverly breaks the fourth wall on a few occasions, allowing the audience to really feel a part of the event.

Dorothy Atkinson as Aunty Carol is a scene stealer. Her impeccable comedic timing softens the blow of some of the heavier scenes, and it wonderfully juxtaposes her dated dialogue in many of the other scenes. Lucy Black’s character development is a brilliant journey to witness, and Adrian Bower’s John is every bit the pitiful beaten down male. Sinead Matthews’ Slyvia excellently stands up to her family and supports Marek (Kostov).

Paule Constable’s lighting design is as impeccable as ever, cleverly surrounding the story, and adding motifs to symbolise significant moments. Constable’s lighting works in harmony with Sheibani’s direction which ensures a constant pace, with impactful moments of stillness, which enable the audience to revel in the story and its themes.

Samal Blak’s set and costume design brilliantly sets the scene, so that from the very start you can recognise where the play is set, whilst only using very few props and costumes. The genius wedding breakfast table is incredibly impressive, and makes the scene feel like a tense round table argument you’d expect to see in a TV drama.

Steel’s play is as important as ever to be on stage in 2025, and amongst its thought-provoking conversations, it is still delightfully hilarious. It’s a testament to the National Theatre’s presence on the London theatre scene, and it’s always a joy to see their shows celebrate success with a transfer.

With only a 13 week run confirmed, tickets are limited, so run to get one whilst you can!

★★★★★

Reviewed by Annie King

Find out more about Til The Stars Come Down at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket