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

★★★★★

“amidst the devastation, Almeida allows moments of tenderness and humour to emerge”

In Anthony Almeida’s powerful stage adaptation of The Beekeeper of Aleppo, the audience is invited into the profoundly moving story of Nuri (Adam Sina) and Afra (Farah Saffari). Based on the acclaimed novel by Christy Lefteri and adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, this Nottingham Playhouse production tells a story that refuses to be forgotten – one rooted in the devastating reality of the Syrian war and the refugee crisis it created.

We first meet Nuri in Aleppo, shortly before the outbreak of war forces millions to flee their homes. A master beekeeper, he works alongside his cousin Mustafa (Joseph Long), whose family has kept bees for three generations and runs a shop known for the sweetest honey. Under Almeida’s direction, the production immerses us in Syria through evocative storytelling, traditional songs, and a sand-swept set by Ruby Pugh that evokes both war-torn streets and refugee camps.

The narrative unfolds in a deliberately non-linear way. While the play opens in the sterile isolation of a UK refugee centre – confronting the bureaucracy faced by those seeking asylum – it soon moves between past and present. Through fragments of memory, we witness how Nuri and Afra were forced to leave their home and the perilous journey that carried them across borders.

The play grips the audience from the beginning, placing a quiet weight in the chest that mirrors the emotional burden carried by its characters. Yet amidst the devastation, Almeida allows moments of tenderness and humour to emerge.

Afra has lost her sight – a physical manifestation of an internal shutdown brought on by trauma. We see Nuri desperately trying to find medical help for her, only to encounter the slow machinery of bureaucracy and the barriers faced by refugees navigating an unfamiliar system. As the narrative unfolds, the full scale of their tragedy gradually emerges. This is a painful story to witness: a story of losing everything built over years, of grief, and of learning how to live with memories that refuse to fade.

“We lost our bees. Let’s see if we can save our children.”

We hear stories of the unimaginable, including the haunting image of Nuri’s nephew among bodies in a river. And yet, even after such loss, survival demands that they keep moving. We follow their journey – from Syria to Istanbul and Athens – in the desperate hope of reaching England, where Mustafa is already trying to rebuild a life and return to beekeeping.

Adam Sina delivers a remarkable performance, portraying Nuri with quiet vulnerability and emotional depth. Haunted by trauma, he repeatedly speaks of his son, yet for much of the play we are left uncertain about the child’s fate. This lingering absence, closely tied to Nuri’s PTSD, creates a quiet but devastating tension throughout the production.

The ensemble – including Joseph Long, Aram Mardourian, Alia Lahlou, Princess Khumalo, Dona Atallah, and others – bring impressive versatility to the stage, shifting seamlessly between roles, accents, and locations. With Almeida’s thoughtful direction and Kane Husbands’ striking movement choreography, scenes transition fluidly between the painful present and fragments of memory.

As someone from Greece, watching parts of this journey unfold on stage felt strikingly familiar. The portrayal of tense encounters, crowded squares where refugees wait for the next uncertain step, and the ways in which their vulnerability can be exploited reflects a reality many in the region have witnessed first hand.

Ultimately, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is not only a story about displacement. It is about memory, survival, and the fragile threads that keep people moving forward when everything else has been lost. It leaves you devastated but full of humanity. It makes you see, but also wonder.

And as the play quietly reminds us: wherever there are bees, there is life.

Tag Archives: Manuel Harlan

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”