Yentl | Marylebone Theatre

The Marylebone Theatre has opened its doors to a new production, Yentl, a bilingual story transferred from Melbourne exploring gender, sexual confusion and religion in a dated yet strikingly modern manner.

Adapted by Gary Abrahams, Elise Esther Hearst and Galit Klas, Yentl tells the story of the protagonist of the same name concealing her gender for the love of knowledge and getting tangled within romance, friendship and sexual confusion throughout her journey. Narrated by The Figure, played with wit, intelligence and a devilish edge by Evelyn Krape, we see our story unfold.

Backed by a clever set designed by Dann Barber and Isabella Van Braeckel which plays in gorgeous tandem with the lighting crafted by Rachel Burke and Tom Turner, casting shadows and building atmosphere throughout the story, Yentl's creative elements are a highlight. The sound design by Max Lyandvert and Julian Starr at first comes across slightly incohesive, yet still manages to build and match the piece beautifully as the show progresses, becoming more poignant and successful.

Direction by Gary Abrahams is clever, with highlights coming through within the disturbingly beautiful sex nightmare in the second act and the layered dialogue throughout. Impressively, this production is bilingual, accompanied by projected subtitles, however, the conviction and emotion carried by all actors on the stage casted the subtitles near redundancy at points due to the clarity of feeling pouring through their words. Certainly, this crafted a unique presence for this show and was a striking contrast against other pieces that may hold similar themes.

Performances throughout were strong across the board with Amy Hack's Yentl delivering spine tingling vocals and a nuanced depiction of gender dysphoria; and Genevive Kingsford's Hodes shining bright throughout with a deep emotional connection to the role. Ashley Margolis presents a confident depiction of Avigdor and Evelyn Krape is truly the glue that holds the piece together as well as being the captain that sailed the steers.

Unfortunately, whilst the piece carries some highs, it also carries some lows. The banishment of the figure within the comedown in act two is poorly executed. The vision may have been detectable, yet the end product feels tacky and unsatisfactory. The storyline as a whole takes a while to become genuinely engaging during the first act, and does not gain momentum until the act was closing, disenfranchising its audience. There is also a large amount of fourth wall breaking, when Krapes' role does so, it feels genuine and engaging, yet when other roles such as Amy Hacks' leading turn joined in on this element, it tackles with the line of borderline pantomime.

The humour throughout the show is varied, whilst some moments provide audible laughs, others provide uncertainty. For such a bold piece that toys with the binaries of society so unashamedly, having crude and objectifying jokes at women does not always land due to lack of clarity within tone. It's never clear whether the audience should be laughing with, at or to them... or even if we should have just sat there in silence.

The conclusion of the piece is a convoluted mix of closure and confusion. Whilst the final scene between Yentl and Avigdor have emotional power, thanks to Hacks and Margolis’ honesty within their acting, it drags and lingers uncomfortably on an unsure point. All before a rapid fire, and uncertain, conclusion is pieced together through the return of The Figure bringing back their narrative role.

Whilst this story, taken from its origins as a short tale by Isaac Bashevis Singer, may feel dated in terms, it also holds a striking modern reverence. Gender inequality, dysphoria and activism are themes that linger throughout the piece in a form that still felt strikingly relevant to the modern day. Seeing an androgynous god-like narrator carry the piece and a protagonist that confronts the binary so harshly is powerful; But unfortunately, Yentl still doesn't quite hit the mark with many moments leaving a lingering sense of yearning for more clarity and exploration.

Yentl plays at Marylebone Theatre until 12th April - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★☆☆ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Manuel Harlan