Tag: Russell Bentley

Not Quite Jerusalem by Paul Kember, Finborough Theatre, 13 March 2020

Read all about it on the Finborough site by clicking this image.

Janie and I really enjoyed this evening at the Finborough. We do like that place; it consistently puts on good stuff in a small space. Not Quite Jerusalem is no exception; indeed one of the best things we’ve seen at the Finborough and one of the best things we’ve seen this year.

I was looking out for this Finborough slot late in 2019, when I met the director, Peter Kavanagh at Gaslight.

Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, Playground Theatre, 24 October 2019

Peter told me that he was scheduled to do a Finborough 40th anniversary production in March 2020 but he didn’t yet know what the play would be.

When I discovered that he had chosen Not Quite Jerusalem I was intrigued to see it. I vaguely remembered that this play came out around the time that I ended up trying to sort out some kibbutz sh*t back in my BBYO days; 1980.

Sorting Out A Problem Kibbutz, BBYO Hillel House, 21 to 24 July 1980

Anyway, Janie seemed keen on the Not Quite Jerusalem scenario so I booked for us both to see it. She’s now very glad she’s seen it, as am I.

It is a funny play but the themes of youthful hopelessness and closed-mindedness in England seem as relevant today as they probably did 40 years ago.

Here is a link to some reviews of the original 1980 production.

There’s an interesting interview by Judi Herman of Jewish Renaissance with Peter Kavanagh about the play and in particular this production of the play – click here.

This production is well cast, with each of the characters playing their role well. Joe McArdle, as the chavvy Yorkshire lad, shows his versatility as an actor; he was the “big reveal detective” in Gaslight – a very different role. Russell Bentley and Alisa Joy both did well as the sabra Israelis; prickly and softening believably and with credible accents too. Ryan Whittle, Miranda Braun and Ronnie York were all suitably irritating as the bright drifter, the damaged female and the uber-chavvy lad from Harlow, respectively.

I had been looking forward to discussing the Harlow chav with John White – he of Harlow- the next day, but our meet up with John and Mandy was cancelled for Covid-19 reasons.

But I digress.

Not Quite Jerusalem is not a great play, but there are lots of interesting elements in it and it hangs together very well as a story. Peter Kavanagh’s production is a thoroughly entertaining evening in the theatre.

The reviews have mostly been very good – deservedly – click here.

Highly recommended.

3 Sisters On Hope Street by Diane Samuels and Tracy-Ann Oberman after Anton Chekov, Hampstead Theatre, 22 February 2008

This one didn’t really work for us, despite the good reviews it mostly received.

It was one of those plays/productions that we thought we ought to have really liked, but didn’t much. We like Chekhov. We like Tracy-Ann Oberman (formerly of NewsRevue in our world, Eastenders in most other people’s). It was a superb-looking cast. Lindsay Posner is a terrific director.

The idea of transferring the Three Sisters to the large home of a relatively wealthy Jewish family in austere post-war Liverpool seemed to be up our street. But Hope Street is not our street; not three hours of it anyhow:

Hampstead Theatre stubs don’t go back this far…yet…but Liverpool Everyman one’s do – so there – click here for cast and crew details.

We no doubt ate at Harry Morgan’s before seeing this production, which would at least have got our bellies into the right mode for the three hour “Chekhov meets Wesker Fest” that followed.