As a rule British theatre’s are loathe to introduce their audiences to contemporary works by foriegn playwrights. Classics by heavyweights such as Chekhov, Ibsen and Strindberg get regular airings but translations of modern foreign plays seldom get much stage time in the UK.

This month Richmond’s Orange Tree Theatre is doing its best to help buck that trend with a run of Autumn and Winter, a play written by acclaimed Swedish dramatist Lars Noren in 1992.

The play is a variation on that well-practiced trope - the dysfunctional family. A husband and wife are joined by their grown-up daughters for a family dinner and the evening soon develops into an exploration of their shared and troubled past.

Lisa Stevenson, who is appearing in the production as daughter Anne, believes Autumn and Winter is well-suited to The Orange Tree’s in the round stage.

“Family dramas work well in the theatre because it is the size of a large living room,” explains the Hampton resident, who is making her fourth appearance at the venue.

“It has that wonderful intimacy to it which I hope will add to the audiences’ feeling that, when they come out of the theatre, they have been in these characters’ world.”

Rehearsals have been tough, according to Stevenson, due to the dark nature of the play, however she says the script is not all shade and no light.

“I think it is really funny and I hope the audience think so too because otherwise it would make it a tricky evening for them,“ she says.

“Families can be naturally funny and make each other laugh, although that doesn’t mean all of their problems are resolved and, in fact, it can mean quite the opposite.”

Autumn and Winter, Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, May 3 - 28, for more information and to book tickets, visit orangetreetheatre.co.uk/autumn-and-winter/