Revenge: After the Levoyah, Yard Theatre Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings – Loud noises, strobe lights, strong and derogatory language, depictions of comic violence, parody political violence and reference to death
Malcolm wants to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn. Yes, you heard me correctly. 80 year old ex-gangster Malcolm Spivak has had enough of Corbyn and his supposed antisemitism so recruits twins Dan (Dylan Corbett-Bader) and Lauren (Gemma Barnett) at their grandfather’s funeral to help him bring his vision to life. The hour that unfolds in front of us is an hour of frenzied, chaotic fun but also tackling those darker subjects and delving into what it is like to be Jewish in Britain.
We meet Dan and Lauren, twins who live together, as they find out their grandfather has died. A traditional Jewish send-off follows along with bagels, ziplocked fish goujons and then sitting shiva. What should be a sad situation is speckled with humour and slapstick comedy, with both Corbett-Bader and Barnett displaying real comedic talent. They flip between characters – literally cartwheeling and rolling – seamlessly, energetically and never losing pace. We then witness the killing of a possible Nazi which, remarkably, is where things start to get chaotic and rather silly given the topics at hand. This is the magnificent work of writer Nick Cassenbaum who balances the ludicrous with the more serious topics, and what it is like to be a Jew living in Britain.
Revenge: After the Levoyah is a production that isn’t afraid to delve into the darker subjects, the stereotypes and the antisemitism which unfortunately did become prevalent in 2019. There are references to Jews feeling scared to go outside; Dan and Lauren’s Nana states that it ‘isn’t safe for them anymore’ and does not want to leave the house, even for a walk down the High Street. As tensions come to a head in the Middle East with the possibility of a ceasefire over the coming days at the time of writing, these conversations are absolutely vital to be having. There really has been a rise of more mainstream Jewish theatre at the moment, particularly with a light touch and open to non-Jewish theatregoers too. JW3, for example, has started holding Jewish pantomimes around Christmas. You can’t get more light touch than that! Given current affairs and political issues that we are seeing more rapidly than ever, these productions really are important and I’m so pleased to see more and more of them.
The end scenes of Revenge: After the Levoyah are extremely funny and you cannot help but hold your breath with anticipation and wonder of what on earth is going to happen next… WHO is going to turn up next?! Words I never expected to say in relation to the kidnapping of Jeremy Corbyn. I felt like I was truly kept on my toes and watching an actual heist, albeit a very silly one. Corbett-Bader and Barnett never crack, even when acting as a Belsen survivor throwing chrain at a moving vehicle. We end with the characters in a helicopter flying over London, and in the words of Dan ‘it can’t get any worse than this’.
A note on the theatre now; The Yard Theatre is an extremely cool venue located just by Hackney Wick Station. It is a blink and you’ll miss it venue, with me completely missing it at first. The bar area is lovely, with plenty of seating and drinks choice. The staff I spoke to were all very helpful, particularly bar staff who got through the queue quickly.
Revenge: After the Levoyah is a truly brilliant production and should be applauded for the truthful and dark conversations that it raises, all whilst keeping things as light and comedic as possible.
At The Yard Theatre until 25th January 2025.
★ ★ ★ ★
