Musical theatre loves a good historical event. Les Mis, Hamilton, Evita to name just three fine examples of how the past has offered up great subjects for treatment.
Cable Street in East London is the setting for this brand new musical written by Alex Kanefsky, music and lyrics by Tim Gilvin.
It follows the events leading up to the Battle of Cable Street in October 1936 and the coming together of local Irish and Jewish people, communists and others to stand up for their Jewish neighbours against Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists.
Directed by Adam Lenson, the show focuses on Mairead (Shai Dessi) an Irish girl working in a Jewish bakery, Sammy (Joshua Ginsberg) a young Jewish boxer, struggling to find work, and Ron (Danny Colligan) a Northern lad who feels disenfranchised and starts believing in the Mosley’s spoutings.
Their stories are meshed together and the three young actors are masterly and have the audience enthralled as we see events unfolding through the eyes of a wide variety of Cable Street residents.
The ensemble cast work tirelessly, vocally and physically with all 11 playing multiple roles across time leaps between now and 1936.
The score is terrific with many different genres of music coming together - just like the diverse people the story represents. Rap, folk songs, Jewish melodies, rock numbers and ballads blend together to tell the story. Some songs standout - “No Pasaran!” at the end of Act I literally brought the house down.
Every aspect of the production, from Yoav Segal’s simple but effective set of corrugated iron, scaffolding and chicken wire, and Jean Howard-Jones’s choreography adds up to a consistent vision.
As if to prove that the political is also personal, Ginsberg who has only recently graduated from drama school is the great-grandson of Isidor Baum who took part in the Battle of Cable Street.
Now sold out, this may be a little rough around the edges, but I have a feeling that before long it will have a West End run.
Cable Street runs at Southwark Playhouse until March 16.
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