Review: Yentl, Marylebone Theatre

Yentl (Amy Hack), a young girl living in a shtetl, is desperate to be a scholar. Yet her gender prohibits her from studying at the yeshiva, where her father teaches. Stuck at home she tries on his clothing – a sin in itself – and reads prohibited books. Her tenacity pays off, with her father teaching her behind closed curtains and locked doors. When he dies, Yentl disguises herself as a boy, ‘Anshl’, and tries to find a yeshiva elsewhere – the alternative is a life of married servitude. Her decision proves to have far-reaching consequences.

There are segments of theological discussion throughout, conducted at fever pitch. These are contrasted with a rom-com, love-triangle plot that, to some extent, is the highlight of the whole piece. Hack and Ashley Margolis, who plays fellow scholar Avigdor, have excellent chemistry, and their respective interactions with Hodes (Genevieve Kingsford), a young woman in the village, are entertainingly awkward.

Events are narrated by The Figure (Evelyn Krape), a spirit-like being who lends a fairytale aspect to proceedings. Krape also stands in for a variety of extras, from Yentl’s father to Hodes’ overbearing mother, with impressive versatility, and it’s never confusing just who she is meant to be at any given time.

The simple set is both functional and pleasing to the eye; a gravelled floor sparsely populated by rocks, with a midcentury-modern-esque wall acting as various interiors. A ladder leading to an alcove at the top of this wall is at first used as a direct reference to the search for forbidden knowledge, but later becomes a way to add visual interest to scenes, giving The Figure a platform from which to oversee events. The structure also provides the projection surface for surtitles, translating the Yiddish passages of the play. Less effective is the curtain that regularly cuts off the back of the stage from view. Occasionally it is used creatively, with parts of it pulled back to create a chuppah, or something for characters to peek through, but for the most part it trundles back and forth without much reason, and after a while, it becomes disruptive.

Sometimes execution drifts into pantomime, more thin comedic filler than real substance. The central message of the story is far from controversial now, as it would have been to contemporary readers of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s story. Most audience members will not be clutching their pearls at the thought of a woman having equal rights to a man. Perhaps that’s why the production leans into crudeness and sexual humour, in order to keep some of that subversiveness. Sometimes this works, but at other times it feels at odds with the hefty subject matter elsewhere. Elsewhere, there’s a disinclination to explore more ‘contentious’ topics, and although there is tacit discussion of gender and sexuality beyond a binary here, it’s frustratingly skated over.

The final section of the play feels a little rushed, racing to the preordained, fairly grim ending with limited depth. That said, the somewhat open finale is ripe for audience imagination.

While it could push the boat further, Yentl is a compelling, funny, sometimes stressful adaptation that’s worth the watch.

Original short story author by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Co-Written by Gary Abrahams, Elise Hearst, Galit Klas
Directed by Gary Abrahams
UK Set & Costume Design by Isabella Van Braeckel
UK Lighting Design by Tom Turner
UK Sound Design by Julian Starr
UK Fight & Intimacy Director: Yarit Dor

Yentl plays at Marylebone Theatre until Sunday 12 April