“the key themes throughout the play chillingly relate to our current social and political climate”
In the midst of the current refugee crisis it seems only appropriate that Israel Zangwill’s The Melting Pot: The Great American Drama is revived for the first time in the UK since 1938. The play revolves around a family of Jewish immigrants set decades before the atrocities of the Holocaust were committed. It is rather unnerving to think that the key themes throughout the play chillingly relate to our current social and political climate.
This is particularly evident when Quincy Davenport, a character who is set to inherit his family’s oil money and actively disassociates himself with the latest arrivals from Ellis Island, refers to the immigrants as a ‘swarm.’ Sound familiar? I believe it was our former Prime Minister that referred to the crisis as ‘a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean’ only two years ago.
The story of The Melting Pot follows young composer David Quixano, who, after fleeing the conflict from his home in Russia, speaks passionately about the idea of America being a multicultural hub hosting a range of nationalities. He falls for a Christian Russian immigrant causing great tension within both families. Whilst the story itself arguably lacks a little depth, it is ideal for displaying the ways in which history can easily repeat itself, and why seemingly small parallels are important to recognise.
The story came alive, albeit with a couple of slip-ups, through a well-chosen cast, the most notable performances coming from Alexander Gatehouse as Quincy Davenport, and Steffan Cennydd as David Quixano. Both actors embodied their characters spectacularly, with Cennydd fully embodying a Jewish New York accent which clashed well with Gatehouse’s depiction of an upper class elitist, also from New York.
The Finborough was the ideal theatre venue for such an intimate drama. The proximity of the audience to the action allowed for an intense piece of storytelling with a minimal set and immense focus on the action. This however, often drew more attention to small hiccups throughout the performance.
Overall, I hope this will be the beginning of several revivals or adaptations of Zangwill’s play over the next few years as the message within is incredibly relevant. It is important to highlight these parallels in order to start asking questions as what we, as a society, can do to prevent history from truly repeating itself.
