A heartfelt and detailed portrayal of a vital part of London’s history, with an exciting score, compelling songs and excellent performances. Rating
Excellent
Cable Street – A New Musical, by Alex Kanefsky and Tim Gilvin, recounts the Battle of Cable Street in London’s East End, during which residents came together across race, religion and gender to oppose the BUF (British Union of Fascists), protect their street, and support tenants’ rights.
The show follows three young people navigating life on Cable Street: Mairead Kenny (Lizzy-Rose Esin Kelly), London born, from an Irish family and working in a Jewish bakery, Sammy Scheinberg (Isaac Gryn), a Jewish former boxer seeking work, and Ron Williams (Barney Wilkinson) a Northern worker come to London hoping to find a job but instead facing unemployment.
The first act sets up the story well, following Mairead as she works tirelessly at the bakery and at home, while highlighting the job shortage for young men as both Sammy and Ron seek employment. Sammy feels he must change his name so as not to be viewed as Jewish, Mairead navigates living in a different city and country to that which her family calls home, and Ron is drawn to false promises made by political parties – all while facing rising rents and potential eviction. The interconnected and complex lives of the residents are highlighted using newspaper headline interludes alongside scenes of Communist Party and BUF meetings, reiterating the national and international political landscape of the era.
Esin-Kelly as Mairead is a powerhouse performer with soaring vocals, gorgeous emotion and characterisation, and great chemistry with her co-stars. She particularly shines in the number ‘What’s Next’, questioning why those around her continue to sing Irish tunes when their home is now London’s East End, describing Cable Street as ‘our dirty cobbles’, ’our little corner of the river’. Throughout, she is torn between the necessities of work and day-to-day life and a love of poetry and words, which is beautifully explored through ‘Bread and Roses’. Esin-Kellyeffortlessly leads the ensemble through the battle scenes, as Mairead rallies women, inspiring workers with her words, and singing the roof off the theatre as she does. An exceptional performance!
Gryn similarly delivers a heartwrenching, powerful performance as Sammy, every moment filled with energy and electricity as he delivers the storytelling with agility and ease. He brings charm and humour in Sammy’s interactions with Mairead, whilst also depicting the struggle between traditional expectations of faith and family, and a desire for action.
Wilkinson’sportrayal of Ron Williams is equally nuanced, evoking empathy, sadness, and anger as he is seduced by the BUF. We see fascists exploiting the economic struggles and growing labour crisis of the East End, enticing uncertain young men with a new depiction of masculinity as they feel they are losing their place as wage earners, distrusting mainstream political parties. We see how quickly this escalates and how the choices Ron makes impact not only himself, but his mother and neighbours. Wilkinson’svoice conveys all of this, with sadness, anger and confusion underpinning Ron’s story and his interactions with other characters.
Fast movement and clever costume changes take the audience from a modern day walking tour of London to Cable Street in the 1930s, highlighting how the area has developed over time, and the impact the Battle of Cable Street has left not only on the direct relatives of those involved but the entirety of the East End of London.
Although some of the dialogue could be paced more effectively, this musical provides powerful songs and standout performances from the three leads, alongside a versatile, multi-roling ensemble. It is an engaging, fascinating story; one that is important to be told and as relevant today as ever. The production is a heartfelt and detailed portrayal of a vital part of London’s history.
Cast: Aoife MacNamara, Annie Majin, Barney Wilkinson, Debbie Chases, Ethan Pascal Peters, Isaac Gryn, Jez Unwin, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly, Max Alexander-Taylor, Michali Dantes, Natalie Elisha-Welsh, Preeya Kalidas, Romona Lewis-Malley
Book by Alex Kanefsky
Music and Lyrics by Tim Gilvin
Directed by Adam Lenson
Musically Directed by Dan Goover
Set design by Yoav Segal
Choreographed by Jevan Howard-Jones
Costume design by Lu Herbert
Lighting Design by Sam Washington and Ben Jacobs
Sound designer by Charlie Smith
Cable Street plays at Marylebone Theatre until Saturday 28 February.
