Relics finds four siblings convening in the home of their recently deceased mother to divvy up her belongings. Eldest Liv (Sally Phillips, poised until she isn’t), youngest Michelle (Charly Clive as a witty, weary primary school teacher) and diametrically opposed middle siblings Jonny (JJ Field swaggering in a very Canary Wharf polo and vest) and Rob (an endearing Sam Swainsbury) stake their claim on things in the house. Liv insists they justify each item while holding a stone indicating their turn to speak, immediately establishing her role as order-maker. Director Michael Longhurst regularly rearranges the actors, but Phillips remains the axis on which the play turns.
After a few run-of-the-mill heirlooms are earmarked, Jonny turns his attention to a painting of a church. The others are surprised he’d want this artwork that apparently creeped him out as a child. After some coaxing, he admits that an appraiser friend has identified it as a valuable long-lost piece by a French impressionist. Liv’s inquiry into how it ended up in their attic leads to the discovery of a note that holds the answer. Their grandfather, a decorated veteran, acquired it as a gift for his wife while serving in Berlin. In 1945. The painting was stolen from a Jewish family before they were sent to their deaths in a concentration camp. The siblings are horrified and their relationships are put to the test as they debate whether to keep or sell this relic that shouldn’t even be theirs.
