LIVING in a society which celebrates the shallow and the superficial, the writings of DH Lawrence are even more important.

Deep and with a searing emotional intensity, his work has had a profound effect on me, from the moment we studied Sons and Lovers at school.

In the theatre, the experience is even more affecting, even if the subject matter of The Daughter-In-Law, about a mother’s boy miner who plays away from home, wouldn’t raise any eyebrows these days.

What I would say, to anyone planning to see this rarely performed gem from the Library Theatre, is that you must be prepared to listen and concentrate. All the dialogue is delivered in Lawrence’s native Nottinghamshire dialect and if you’re not prepared to put the work in, the actors might as well be speaking Martian to you. Tune off and you’ll also miss some of the witty and often wise old-fashioned expressions that pop up in the script.

Luther and Minnie’s marital strife is set against the equally charged backdrop of the 1912 miners strike and as always with Chris Honer productions, the performances ooze authenticity and leave a lasting impression on those who witness them. Alun Raglan and Natalie Grady are particularly good as the rowing newly weds Luther and Minnie.

Yet another triumph for one of the country’s most important theatre companies.

* Until March 10 at The Lowry until March 10. The box office is on 0843 208 6000. Star rating - ****