Anna Ziegler’s drama takes audiences between timelines, relationships and the resulting dilemmas
The most intriguing feature of The Wanderers is the successful marriage between Anna Ziegler's text and the joint vision of director Igor Golyak and set designer Jan Pappelbaum. Together they translate the nuances of the characters’ bonds and dramas.
At the heart of the narrative is Abe (Alexander Forsyth), a Pulitzer Prize-winning Brooklyn-based author, and his uneasy relationship with his wife Sophie (Paksie Vernon). He is embarking on an autobiographical novel, so the equally problematic relationship between his traditionally Orthodox parents, Esther (Katerina Tannenbaum) and Schmuli (Eddie Toll), is explored in tandem.
The two couples act out their lives in different time periods, represented on stage right and stage left. That the characters move between the two, illustrates the effects that the shifting actions and familial ties have from one generation to the next.
Pappelbaum ensures the two sides of the stage meld together, as necessary, thanks to screens on which the characters can literally sum up their feelings by writing and drawing images. It proves a hugely successful ploy, thanks in no small way to the dexterity of the cast, in headlining the action onscreen. In addition, snow falls across the screens, hinting at the chill in the relationships being explored.
Every bit of scenery is as versatile as the cast. Like the screens, for instance, which are moveable, and the furniture, which is translucent, thus characters can emerge from behind them in different guises and time periods. And perhaps most impressive are Abe's sketches, giving him an added ownership of the narrative.
This versatility extends to the props and costumes, too. A long white tablecloth is also a bridal veil, bedsheet, newborn baby and more. And the differences between the generations is evident from the dark, sober dress of the older, Orthodox couple, with Esther's modesty emphasised by her long loose dress and traditional sheitel (wig), which contrasts with the more relaxed casuals of the younger characters.
The tensions come to light as we discover that Sophie, who is also a writer, is overshadowed by her high-profile husband. Moreover, at an online event where Abe faces an audience of his fans, he cannot help but notice a beautiful Jewish actor called Julia (Anna Popplewell), who is clearly a fan. The feeling is evidently mutual, as the two begin an online exchange. Julia contrasts with both Sophie and Esther. She is more comfortable in herself and outgoing, so all the more fascinating to Abe. But this does not save him from suffering pangs of guilt, providing one more reason for this ‘wandering Jew’ to falter.
It’s not hard to see why Ziegler’s drama arrived in Blighty trailing glory from a smash-hit Broadway run. The Wanderers charts the highs and lows of its New York Jewish protagonists through time and relationships in a way that is never less than absorbing and clever.
By Judi Herman
Photos by Mark Senior
The Wanderers runs until Saturday 29 November. 7.30pm, 2.30pm (Thu & Sat only). From £22.75. Marylebone Theatre, London, NW1 6XT. marylebonetheatre.com