★★★★

“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.

THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY at Park Theatre

★★★★

“Genevieve Gaunt captures the mannerisms and the breathy vocals without resorting to cliché”

Vicki McKellar and Guy Masterson’s “The Marilyn Conspiracy” is an intricately structured new drama, that undulates chronologically. Like a pendulum, swinging between the ‘before’ and ‘after’; in the centre of which lies the tragic and untimely death of Marilyn Monroe. The play hangs above the events like the sword of Damocles, waiting to fall and slice through the rumours, the scandal and conspiracy theories to get to the truth. Although when it does drop, the penetration is only skin deep. The writing and the performances are incisive, but the writers prefer to leave the outer layers unscathed. We are never entirely sure whether to trust their version of events or to draw our own conclusions.

Sixty years on from her death, the jury is still out. Officially ruled as probable suicide, no evidence of foul play was found. Despite the coroner’s findings, several conspiracy theories have been proposed. The case was reviewed in 1982 but the original findings were upheld. Masterson, who also directs, lays on the evidence of foul play thick and fast, presenting us with a very filmic piece of theatre that grips throughout – enhanced by Jack Arnold’s moody and atmospheric compositions. Film Noir meets Columbo, with touches of Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie. ‘Who Killed Monroe’ could be a suitable subtitle as motive and opportunity are relayed around the room like a tense game of ‘pass the parcel’. Threats said in the heat of the moment are later forensically picked apart and used as, not just evidence, but proof. As details leak, suspicions grow, and fingers point. Lies are uncovered, but then covered up before you can say ‘Happy Birthday’ to a president.

Monroe is such an icon that has unfortunately become a caricature in the public’s memory. However, Genevieve Gaunt captures the mannerisms and the breathy vocals without resorting to cliché. We get a real feel of her playfulness as well as her histrionics and instability. To a lesser extent we glimpse the savvy side of Monroe’s character, the emphasis being on the trivial gossip. Which is a delight. Giggling and spicy conversations with her close friend Pat Newcomb (Susie Amy – in wonderful form as loyal defender, supporter and confidant) provide comic relief from the dark revelations revealed posthumously.

McKellar has clearly done her research. The source material is wide, yet she focuses on quite a narrow part of the picture, leading Robert and John Kennedy centre stage without actually bringing either of them onto the stage. Instead, we have their sister Patricia and her husband Peter Lawford as a kind of good-cop-bad-cop duo. Declan Bennett’s Peter is the closest we have to the villain of the piece: his brothers’ lackey sent to staunch a leak that could topple the administration. Having failed, more drastic measures are needed – and therein lies the crux of the narrative. The stakes are high, and the skilled performances raise them higher still as the cast navigate the sharp and penetrating narrative structure. A special mention must be made of last-minute replacement, Natasha Colenso, as Patricia Kennedy-Lawford. A pre-show announcement explained that she would be on the book, but you had to look very hard indeed to notice.

Everybody thinks they know everything about Marilyn Monroe, and consequently has their own theory about her demise. This show sheds little light on the heroine herself, but it does authentically portray the dubious afterglow of her departure. Very much character lead, it is above all a beguiling study in political coercion and one’s willingness to bow down to it. Sally Mortemore’s nuanced depiction of Monroe’s housemaid, Eunice Murray, is a prime and realistically disturbing example of this dichotomy.

We may not be presented with undisputed fact, but we feel that we are dangerously close to it. McKellar takes us behind closed doors and shows us the intricate mechanisms of the quintessential ’cover up’. When the pieces come together, whether true or not, what we have is ‘history’. It’s a daunting concept. “The Marilyn Conspiracy” perhaps treats this concept with a bit too much bias and preconception. But the mix of polemic and entertainment value is perfectly balanced. A thrilling piece of theatre.

Tag Archives: Tom Turner

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”

YENTL

Marylebone Theatre

Reviewed on 11th March 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Manuel Harlan

YENTL

YENTL

YENTL

🎭 A TOP SHOW IN JUNE 2024 🎭

THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY

★★★★

Park Theatre

THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY at Park Theatre

★★★★

“Genevieve Gaunt captures the mannerisms and the breathy vocals without resorting to cliché”