Revenge: After The Levoyah – The Yard Theatre, London

A number of tricky topics are explored through humour and farce in Revenge: After the Levoyah, on now at the Yard Theatre.

Revenge: After the Levoyah

Revenge: After the Levoyah, originally staged at the Edinburgh Festival in 2024, has found a new home at the Yard Theatre in London, where it continues to explore a complicated and vital narrative. The play, by Nick Cassenbaum, is ambitious in its themes, and alternates between farce, family drama, and social commentary. While it seems to have been well-suited to the Edinburgh festival setting, my experience at the Yard left me slightly less convinced by its overall execution, particularly in terms of pacing and tone.

The play centers around the aftermath of a Jewish funeral.  Twins Lauren (Gemma Barnett) and Dan (Dylan Corbett-Bader) are mourning the loss of their grandfather when they encounter former gangster Malcolm (also played by Corbett-Bader: he and Barnett share all other roles).  Intrigued by some alarming reminiscences, it’s not long before Dan and Lauren find themselves in the orbit of Malcolm and his Holocaust survivor buddy Moishe.  From an encounter with a neo-Nazi plumber (maybe) to a plot to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn (yes, really), things will never be the same again.  Anglo-Jewish characters meet with the tropes of a heist film as the play’s narrative increasingly veers into farcical territory, culminating in a chaotic series of slapstick moments and escalating domestic and international tensions.

While there is an undeniable energy to the frantic pace at which Emma Jude Harris directs the work, I found it at times overwhelming. The rapid shifts between characters and antics was sometimes difficult to keep up with. This prevented me from fully engaging with the play’s emotional core. Farce can be a powerful tool for examining complex themes, but in this case, the farcical elements didn’t always (for me) land as effectively as they might have.

A Provocative Commentary on Contemporary British Society

However, Revenge: After the Levoyah undeniably succeeds in offering a provocative commentary on contemporary British society, particularly regarding issues of anti-Semitism. Through its somewhat chaotic structure, the play provides a pointed exploration of the challenges faced by the Anglo-Jewish community in modern Britain. The cultural friction, particularly when it comes to growing anti-Semitism and uncertainty over how – or whether – to respond, is palpable throughout. The play furthermore feels like a love letter to this community, celebrating its resilience while also pointing out the struggles that come with maintaining identity in a society that is often hostile to difference.

Visually, the production makes a strong impact. The Yard Theatre’s intimate space amplifies the chaos on stage, drawing the audience into the whirlwind of emotions and heightened drama. The set design (Alys Whitehead) is as busy as the plot, but focuses attention on the characters and their interactions rather than distracting from the story. The lighting (Amy Daniels) and sound (Adam Lenson) design, particularly the use of colour to denote key moments, is suitably blunt. This synergy with the energy of the play elevates the overall experience.

Ultimately, Revenge: After the Levoyah is a play that will likely resonate most deeply with those familiar with the Anglo-Jewish experience, while also being accessible to all those who struggle to cut through complex issues and the relentless media coverage thereof. It succeeds in presenting a portrait of a community in flux, trying to reconcile the demands of family and community with the realities and uncertainties of modern life. While its farcical elements may not fully hit the mark for all audiences, the play’s exploration of anti-Semitism in contemporary Britain is both timely and thought-provoking.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3/5

Revenge: After the Levoyah on until 25 January 2025. More info and tickets here.