When Arnold Wesker's play first appeared at the Royal Court in 1958, it was passionately acclaimed. Since then his star has declined, to the point where his work is largely neglected - although he was knighted in 2006.
Here Dominic Cooke makes a case for renewed interest in the now 79-year-old Wesker, reviving this authentic portrait of a disintegrating Jewish family.
We follow the Kahns, who live in the East End, over the period from 1936, when they confront Oswald Mosley's parading fascists, to 1956, when Soviet tanks are trundling into Budapest.
Their relationships are tested, and so are their political commitments. Doubt, apathy and material anxiety replace idealism and fervour - for all except the bustling matriarch Sarah, who's forever brewing tea and trying to preserve her family's integrity.
Many of the incidents that shape their lives happen far away - early on there are repeated references to the Spanish Civil War - but world events resonate domestically for the Kahns, who respond to the constant churning of history with a vivid, argumentative emotion that reveals their personal frailties.
There are two stunning performances: from Samantha Spiro, whose Sarah is a nugget of vitality and a model of resilience, and from Danny Webb as her feckless husband Harry, who shrivels unbearably as a result of two strokes.
Among the support, the standout is Harry Peacock as a firebrand whose spirit is snuffed out by prosperity.
The play itself has a deep core of humanity. Its title is a reference to a memorable, evocative flavour that remains after everything else has gone - a reminder of the warm, enduring nourishment afforded by friendships.
But Wesker's writing doesn't slip down easily. He depicts misery and bleakness with great assurance, and there are flashes of humour but as he makes connections between the personal and the political, the dialogue often labours its significance. This feels didactic, and his characters can appear too neatly illustrative of different strands of ideology.
In the Fifties, Wesker was applauded for bringing to the stage a stratum of working-class experience that was alien to most theatregoers.
Today, the substance of this family chronicle seems less novel, but it's a lot more than just a dusty period piece, and Cooke's interpretation, with an affectionately detailed design by Ultz, is meticulous and impressive.
Until July 9 (020 7565 5000, royalcourttheatre.com).
Chicken Soup With Barley
Jerwood Theatre At The Royal Court
Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
