Written by Nick Cassenbaum’

Directed by Emma Jude Harris,

Review by Jack Quinn

Summerhall Anatomy Lecture Theatre

As we enter the Anatomy Lecture Theatre, an event is already occurring. Onstage sit Gemma Barnett and Dylan Corbett-Bader, intensely awaiting the opportunity to launch into the roaring farce of REVENGE: After the Levoyah.

Describing this play simply as a farce would be an injustice to the depth of Nick Cassenbaum’s intricately orchestrated script, whose rhythm paces through the world of two Yiddishe punters in their attempt to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn. Playing a pair of Jewish Essex twins, Dan and Lauren, Corbett-Bader and Barnett have an electric chemistry which ignites the production with an energetic flow of passion and precision, ensuring that not a beat is missed under the masterful direction of Emma Jude Harris.

Physical and playful, the duo’s performances blend into a series of interactions with an old East End gangster, Malcolm, who takes Dan and Lauren under his wing after their grandfather’s funeral, enlisting them to kidnap Corbyn for his antisemitic views. Disorganised and chaotic, the plot twists and turns at a breakneck speed, in which the radicalism of an individual is represented through narratives of misinformed discourse and the power of the media to spark misinformation and radical revolt. The play deftly tackles the sensitive issue of antisemitism, using sharp humour and satire to highlight the dangerous consequences of prejudice and misinformation.

Perfectly crafted, polished performances, and tightly written, REVENGE: After the Levoyah is a sensational success and screaming for future development or adaptation.

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