REVENGE: After the Levoyah

Theatre (dark comedy, political)

  • Summerhall - Anatomy Lecture Theatre
  • 15:00
  • Aug 26
  • 1 hour
  • Suitability: 14+ (Guideline)
  • Country: United Kingdom - England
  • Group: Plotnek Productions and Nick Cassenbaum
  • Warnings and additional info: Strong language/swearing. Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes; Descriptions of comic violence and referencing of anti-semitic language. Scenes of violence
  • Accessibility:
    Audio enhancement system
    Wheelchair Accessible Toilets
    Captioning
    May not apply to all performances. You'll find more information about accessibile performances and how to book tickets in the accessibility tab below.
  • Babes in arms policy: Babies do not require a ticket
  • Policy applies to: Children under 2 years
Please note, latecomers may not be admitted.

Description

Nick Cassenbaum's two-hander comedy heist, directed by Emma Jude Harris, romps through 2018 Jewish Essex. Through madcap comedy and biting satire, this explosive tale blows the roof off what it means to be Jewish in the UK. Twins Dan and Lauren meet ex-gangster Malcolm Spivak at their grandfather's funeral. Malcolm, who's 'had enough', enlists the siblings in a ragtag Yiddishe plot to kidnap then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. REVENGE: After the Levoyah examines antisemitism in the diaspora, the dangers of collective hysteria, and how far one nonagenarian can throw a jar of chraine from a moving vehicle.

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General venue access

  • Audio enhancement system
    Wheelchair Accessible Toilets
    Captioning
  • Accessible entry: Once in the Courtyard, standing facing the Royal Dick, enter through the ground floor double doors to your left. Anatomy is directly ahead. 10 steps to top of theatre space.
  • Wheelchair access type: Level Access

  • Stairs: Information not supplied

Each venue can contain several space with different accessibly information. Visit the venue page for full venue accessibility info


Captioned performances

  • Dates: 2 August, 13 August
  • Type: Open
  • Booking options: You can book independently online, or contact our access team to book your tickets and request any specific seating locations or if booking a unit is required.

How and when to make an access booking

Our access tickets service is available to anyone who:

  • Would like to book specific accessibility services, e.g. a hearing loop, audio description headsets, captioning units, seating in relation to the location of the BSL interpreter
  • Requires extra assistance when at a venue
  • Has specific seating requirements
  • Is a wheelchair user
  • Requires a complimentary personal assistant ticket to attend a performance

Deborah Helm 19 days ago

Two performers playing multiple characters, mainly Jewish. It is so frantic it took me a while to tune in, but it turned out to be really good - a madcap, 100mph black farce about North London Jews and their plot to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn. Very entertaining.

Eddie Reynolds, www.theatreeddys.com 19 days ago

“REVENGE: After the Levoyah”
Nothing is funny about the mounting and alarming anti-Semitism occurring on both sides of the Atlantic; but Nick Cassenbaum has found a way to reap constant chuckles and outright guffaws as members of the Jewish community of Essex decide enough’s enough. That is certainly true for twins Lauren (Gemma Barnett) and Dan (Dylan Corbett-Bader) when their recently widowed grandmother is afraid to leave her apartment because of recent neighborhood incidents and when a plumber spews in Lauren’s face insults against Jews as he repairs the hot water heater.

How much threat really exists and how much is actually a community’s madcap hysteria becomes the heart of the fast-paced, satirical comedy so aptly directed by Emma Jude Harris. The two actors are themselves a riot as they constantly switch in split-second sequences seemingly dozens of roles. A turn of the head, a subtle raising of a shoulder or bending of the torso, or voices that alter dialect, tone, volume, and pitch simultaneously are just a few of a wide range of techniques each uses to become a rabbi, an ex-gangster, a ninety-something survivor, granny herself, and a host of others of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. And when the decision that the best way to call attention to the rampant anti/Semitism is to kidnap a suspected perpetrator, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, the real fun begins.
Rating: 5 E

Nick 21 days ago

This is the best comedy I've seen this year. Grab a ticket while there are still a few left. It really should have been picked up by the Traverse, as it's far better than anything we've seen there.

Janice Berman 23 days ago

One of the best shows I've seen at Fringe -- it's selling out, so get tickets if you can!
The show starts out as amusing, and heats from a simmer to a full boil as the farce slowly builds. It grabbed my attention and gripped me, and the rest of the sold-out audience, from the start. The actors portray multiple characters with amazing clarity, using both body and voice to differentiate characters. While making you laugh out loud, it also makes a serious point about our willingness to tolerate anti-semitism at the highest levels of government.

Jon Smith 24 days ago

In Nick Cassenbaum's Revenge: After the Levoyah, Gemma Barnett and Dylan Corbett-Bader play twins Lauren and Dan, and a range of supporting characters. The play starts with the twins' grandfather's funeral, the levoyah, where ex-gangster Malcolm Spivak, persuades them to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn, on the grounds that he epitomises the anti-Semitism of the time. A rollercoaster ride of a farce ensues, in which dialogue is not always clear due to the speed of the delivery, accents and Jewish terms that may not have widespread recognition. It doesn't matter if minor plot details are unclear as they can be silly anyway, and the exuberance of the production is irresistible. This is a wonderfully enjoyable black comedy, with both serious points and the ability to make fun of anyone and everyone.

Ashley 26 days ago

I love this show. LOVE!! Incredible acting, fast paced, meaningful and wild at the same time. Absolutely one of my favorite Fringe pieces this year. Do not miss it!! Truly the two performers are out of this world talented. Update: after seeing over 50 fringe shows this is my #1, absolute favourite. It's brilliant on every level and everyone should see it.

Clive Haswell 27 days ago

Brilliant! Such an incisive comment on the confusion caused amongst the Jewish community in London by the campaign against Corbyn. Beautifully acted with polished performances. Don’t miss it.

Audrey MacDougall 33 days ago

A double hander about twins in London and the kidnapping of Jeremy Corbyn. Sounds ridiculous? A riotous production with two actors playing a multitude of roles relying on facial expressions, posture and accent to differentiate. An outlandish plot used to explore antisemitism and ideas of certainty. An intelligent, witty script presented by accomplished actors, particularly the actor playing Lauren. Theatre can play such an important role in stimulating debate and this production achieved that aim with verve and style.

Brian B 36 days ago

Hugely entertaining, both performers played their various characters to perfection, switching between them seamlessly. A right Jewish romp; guns, chopped liver, bagels and Jeremy Corbyn, who could ask for more!


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The Scotsman (4/5 stars) 21 days ago

The excellence of this play is the way it lampoons all sides while disrespecting none, with an overriding tone of disturbed confusion which feels very now.

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Theatre Weekly (5/5 stars) 23 days ago

"wickedly irreverent when it needs to be and raw and deeply impactful when necessary"

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The Stage (4/5 stars) 29 days ago

Riotously funny

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The British Theatre Guide (3/5 stars) 36 days ago

This light, politically pertinent satire has the comic style of the slapstick Keystone Cops with its crazy car chases and exaggerated physical comedy. The packed audience seemed to love it.

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Participants - for further details on our audience and published review policies, including how to add or opt out of reviews, please click here.

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Participants - for further details on our audience and published review policies, including how to add or opt out of reviews, please click here.