It’s 1936, and Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists is stirring up division in East London, specifically on Cable Street.
This new musical by Tim Gilvin (music/lyrics) and Alex Kanefsky (book) focuses on three characters: Jewish Sammy, Irish Mairaid, and English Ron. With poverty all around and tensions high, something has to give.
In a world where humanity is declining into fear, jobs are scarce and housing is precarious, Cable Street moves quickly between locations, and – very cleverly – multiple characters played by a small ensemble.
I was fascinated by the visual punch of a devout Jewish father morphing into a Fascist leader in a blink (Jez Unwin is excellent as both). It emphasises how propaganda and ideology can change a person.
The songs are particularly punchy in the second half, and throughout there are a range of styles on show (Joshua Ginsberg’s Sammy is a dab hand at rap, Sha Dessi’s Mairaid has brave, powerful ballads).
Some of the actors play instruments (guitar and violin), too, which gives this an intimacy that reminded me at times of Once and Amelie. And Jevan Howard-Jones has come up with excellent choreography for the space.
There are eleven in the cast, but Adam Lenson’s clever staging (set design by Yoav Segal) offers a sense of scale, which suggests crowds in the streets and in crowded buildings and a sense of danger in the dark.
As the conflicted Ron, Danny Colligan delivers a difficult character who can’t see where he fits into the East End. His trajectory is melodramatic but fits the musical theme.
Sophia Ragavelas is very good as his downtrodden mother, while Debbie Chazen is eye-catching as Mairaid’s mum, but frustratingly underused as a singer.
Elsewhere in the cast, there is strong work from Jade Johnson, Sarah Leatherbarrow, Ethan Pascal Peters (a great cheeky chappie, and a touching religious scholar), with Max Alexander-Taylor and Aoife MacNamara accomplished actors-musicians.
Cable Street could easily trim a bit of act one’s exposition and introduction to make a stronger point, although “Bread and Roses” and the stirring anthem “No Pasarán” definitely deliver the goods.
With a framing device of a tour guide’s party in the area and a sense of historical significance, Cable Street clearly makes the point that we are all one people, whatever our race or religion.
It is something we all should remember is a current climate that often dehumanises others or seeks to undermine, mock, and silence them.
Cable Street is at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 16 Mar. The run is completely sold out, but more information is available here.
***.5
Image credit: Jane Hobson