YENTL

Marylebone Theatre

★★★★

“Amy Hack’s Yentl is superb, expertly capturing the tension between self-determination and destruction, outwardly uncertain yet inwardly blazing”

Fresh from its award winning Sydney Opera House run, ‘Yentl’ lands in London with a bang. Worlds away from the Streisand musical, this new bilingual adaptation delivers a gritty, layered and fiercely human take on Isaac Bashevis Singer’s original story of identity, desire and moral conflict.

Yentl yearns to study the Torah, forbidden for Jewish women like her. Her father recognises her true soul and secretly teaches her. When he dies, Yentl can’t bear to give it up, choosing to live as a man (Anshl), joining a ‘yeshiva’ (school for men’s religious study) and bonding with study partner, Avigdor. But as the deceptions compound, how long can Yentl protect her authentic self – and who will she hurt along the way?

Co writers Gary Abrahams, Elise Hearst and Galit Klas craft a powerful story about the age-old tension between freedom and destruction, embracing the morally ambiguous mire Singer originally intended. Steeped in Jewish culture yet asking universal questions about identity, queerness, learning and belonging, the text brims with biblical allusions, vivid imagery and fraught choices mirroring inner struggle. Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s extended Yiddish passages, surtitled in English, give the piece the pulse of Singer’s language, while well judged humour cuts through the intensity. Focusing the drama on Yentl/Anshel, Avigdor and Hodes, with a shape shifting fourth role, sharpens the emotional stakes and deepens the commentary. That said, the overly long prologue stalls momentum, and the epilogue’s initial reinvention of Yentl risks confusion, but overall this is a strong, compelling adaptation.

Gary Abrahams’ direction digs straight into the grit and dualism of Singer’s world, inviting us to confront our own hidden selves. The mischievous Figure cleverly embodies shifting dualities, though the role could push further – clearer character transitions and a bolder presence would drive the narrative and heighten the otherworldliness. There’s striking physicality throughout, from Yentl/Anshl’s awkwardness to Hodes’ shy earnestness. The pace is spot on, crackling in the climactic confrontation between Yentl, Avigdor and Hodes. The ever present Torah becomes a fifth character, with a Hebrew inscribed curtain framing key moments (though I would love to know what it says). Overall, the direction is sharp and considered.

UK and original set designers Isabella Van Braeckel and Dann Barber create an evocative, brooding world shaped by flickering candlelight and rustic furniture. The imposing wall feels ancient and unyielding; the shredded rubber floor earthy and primal. Costumes stay muted, with Hodes’ yellow dress a rare flash of hope. Lighting designers Tom Turner and Rachel Burke craft a restrained visual palette, expertly using shadows to underscore the story’s darker elements. Sound designer Julian Starr, with designer and composer Max Lyandvert, subtly build tension through abstract strings, distant voices and electronic pulses. Mask like makeup nods to Purim’s hidden identities, with Yentl the most naturalistic yet still unmistakably masked.

Overall, the cast is brilliant. Amy Hack’s Yentl is superb, expertly capturing the tension between self-determination and destruction, outwardly uncertain yet inwardly blazing. Hack feels fully human, with sharp humour and moving singing. Ashley Margolis’ Avigdor is a knot of contradictions, desperately trying to outrun destiny while giving in to his basest desires. Margolis’ brooding worldliness plays beautifully against Yentl’s raw naivety, deepening both characters. Genevieve Kingsford gives Hodes an endearing, somewhat tragic edge while maintaining a flicker of grit and agency. Evelyn Krape brings a deliciously mischievous darkness to the Figure – part tormentor, part temptation – though the character shifts could be clearer and the timing a little punchier.

‘Yentl’ is a strikingly accessible, compelling look at the clash between self determination and social constraint, resonating well beyond its Jewish roots. It fittingly honours Singer’s original story while asserting its own identity – a powerful, thought-provoking watch.

YENTL

Marylebone Theatre

Reviewed on 11th March 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Manuel Harlan

YENTL

★★★★

“joyfully madcap, full of twists, improbable developments, romance, and ghosts”

Packed with dead wives, werewolves, mummies, bleeding portraits, and more gothic cliches than the Monster Mash, The Mystery of Irma Vep is a hilarious and enthralling farce, brought wonderfully to life by the multi-rolling duo of Joe Newton and James Keningale. This revival of Charles Ludlam’s 1984 satire is a hit for Jack Studio Theatre’s Christmas production.

Drawing from Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, the play relates the story of Egyptologist Lord Edgar Hill Crest (Newton) and his second wife Lady Enid (Keningale), living amongst the moors in Mandacrest, Edgar’s ancestral home, they embark on their new married life, haunted by the memory of Edgar’s first wife Lady Irma, whose portrait hangs above the fire. The couple are isolated except for supercilious and jealous housekeeper Jane Twisden (also Newton) and manservant Nicodemus Underwood (also Keningale), whose lovelorn, half-ignored proclamations are a highlight. As is the dialogue generally, much of which references gothic precursors including Shakespeare’s ghosts and Edgar Alan Poe’s Raven. The play lives up to its subtitle, ‘A Penny Dreadful’. Without wanting to give too much away, the narrative is joyfully madcap, full of twists, improbable developments, romance, and ghosts, while never missing an opportunity for an intentionally groan-inducing bad joke: ‘it’s a terrible thing to marry an Egyptologist and find out he’s hung up on his mummy’.

The chemistry between the performers sparks as they play the parts of rivals, lovers, or co-workers, and the quick costume changes between characters, especially towards the play’s climax, elicit an uproarious response from the audience. The impossibility of certain characters sharing the stage is played both for laughs and dramatic tension, and the bond felt between Enid and Nicodemus (both Keningale), which can never be realised on stage, irreverently explores the mystery of human connection. Kate Bannister’s direction encourages the performers’ physical acting to flourish, weaving in the stylistic hallmarks of silent movies and gothic horror, from the exaggerated gestures of Lady Enid as she circles the stage, to the contorted skulking of monsters lifted straight from Nosferatu (1922), which is especially satisfying. Lady Enid’s insulted half-turn towards the audience with chin aloft, and Jane’s haughtiness and evasion of Nicodemus’ advances are also particularly enjoyable. The fight direction by Gabriele Lombardo is also strong, allowing character to shine through in the movement.

The set design by Karl Swinyard, assisted by Lizzie Spinks evokes the primness of a Victorian parlour, complete with chaise longue and dour portraiture. The projections that shift the action first to an Egypt then to a ship—yet another gothic motif—makes creative use of the tight space. The lighting design (Laurel Marks) is simple but effective, particularly the blue of streaming moonlight, and Julian Starr’s sound veers from the eerie to the macabre. Costume design (Martin J Robinson) combines both period dress and, out of necessity, quick changing, and is extremely successful in both, a standout is Lady Enid’s red dress, with which she attempts to enliven her relationship.

The Mystery of Irma Vep is a great option for a festive outing that blends the aesthetics of gothic horror with the camp sensibilities of pantomime and is catalysed by excellent performances and lively directing.

Tag Archives: Julian Starr

YENTL

★★★★

Marylebone Theatre

YENTL

Marylebone Theatre

★★★★

“Amy Hack’s Yentl is superb, expertly capturing the tension between self-determination and destruction, outwardly uncertain yet inwardly blazing”