Reviews

Ivor Dembina: Old Jewish Jokes ★★★★

Ivor Dembina: Old Jewish Jokes ★★★★

Thirty years ago I saw Ivor Dembina walk onto a stage in north London and announce to an unsuspecting crowd: “Right, let’s have the Hatikvah” (a 19th-century Jewish poem and Israel's national anthem). It was an early sign of the path he was looking to tread. One of my favourite…

The Merchant of Venice ★★★★★

The Merchant of Venice ★★★★★

Alone on a darkened stage a young woman lights a candelabra, singing Black Eyed Peas with the band (led by Zac Gvi): "I got a feeling / That tonight's gonna be a good night… Mazel tov." Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, tense as she plans elopement with her Christian lover Lorenzo…