ED FRINGE 2023 REVIEW | Chopped Liver and Unions
★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Penny
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Everybody knows about the suffragette movement, and strikes from London's Matchgirls and workers at Ford's Dagenham factory have their place in the history books as well as on stage in shows about the action taken by women to improve their working lives. However, less well known is the story of Sara Wesker, who in the late 1920s led the young Jewish women in London's clothing trade whose strike action played out against a soundtrack of popular songs of the period, with lyrics adapted by Sara to get the message across.
In Chopped Liver and Unions, LL Leppink's script tells Sara's story from her own perspective, looking back on her years of activism and wondering how she will be remembered. It includes astute observations about inequality (for example, why are women who cook are referred to as housewives whilst men who cook are chefs?) as well an all too familiar insight into how society viewed Sara for raising her voice to demand better pay and conditions, pointing out that the language used to describe her was not as
flattering as it would be if she were a man doing the same things. However, despite being a very interesting and thought-provoking piece of work, the play lacked a killer punch.
Playing Sara Wesker, Lottie Walker gave a mostly confident performance, making good of the small stage but without feeling the need to constantly move around and she was at her best when engaging with her audience with a brief quip or observation, she has great warmth in her delivery and created an intimate atmosphere in which to confide her story. She gave Sara a self-deprecating charm, but I did feel that her delivery was a little too soft for a character that she told us was described as "fiery" and would have liked to see a little more passion. Despite this, Walker easily managed to hold the audience's attention for the show's 45-minute running time, not out-staying her welcome and giving her audience an insight into one of history's lesser-known feminist leaders.
Chopped Liver and Unions is a show that will not change the world but does serve as a reminder that anybody can make a difference. Worth a watch.
