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Yentl Rating

★★★★★

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The Kadimah Yiddish Theatre has done something extraordinary with their story of Yentl – now showing at the Playhouse at the Sydney Opera House: they have reclaimed Isaac Bashevis Singer’s original story and made it sing in a way that the 1983 musical adaptation could not.

I came into the show with high expectations. When I discovered Singer’s short stories as a teenager, they were revelatory for me. His folk tales, full of customs and characters I didn’t know, were yet more real to me than the Anderson and Grimm tales I’d grown up with. All the demons and sprites in Singer’s stories are simply people with desires and faults driven to extremes. His fairy tales reveal human nature.

It is that spirit that this production captures. Stepping into the world of Yentl is to enter a fairy tale realm. The ground is covered in dirt, rocks and grass, a kind of haunted forest. Everything is just slightly exaggerated, including the actors with their white pantomime makeup. This is not a real world; it is beyond the real, ultra real, super real. And by adhering closely to Singer’s story, published in 1962 and set in 1873, it is also profoundly modern.

Yentl is a young woman who wants to study and yearns for all the benefits that men have. After the death of her father, she takes on a male name – Anshl – and garb, and goes to study at a yeshiva, on the way meeting the melancholic Avigdor who will become her best friend and study partner. As Avigdor pines for Hodes, his betrothed bride whose family rejected him, he suggests that Anshl marry her instead. What could possibly go wrong? Especially as the spark between the two young men feels like it could be something more than friendship.

Amy Hack does a superb job of playing both Yentl and Anshl. She captures Anshl’s eagerness and excitement to be in the world of men, despite being woefully ignorant of men themselves. Her assumed boyishness gradually transforms into something else – something more powerful as Yentl finally realises what she can and can’t have. Nicholas Jaquinot and Genevieve Kingsford are also excellent as Avigdor and Hodes respectively, characters that could easily be one-dimensional but which they both give great depth to.

An interesting addition to the story is Evelyn Krape’s Figure, or yeytser ho’re, who is witch, fairy, joker and conscience all rolled into one. She propels both Yentl and the narrative forward with an unrelenting energy.

Whether on purpose or not, I found that the Figure the queerest character in a cast full of very queer characters. She captures the torment and joy that being queer often feels like – especially in times or places of repression. And let’s face it: everyone in Yentl is a bit queer. Anshl doesn’t want to be a wife, but is fine with being a husband, and you suspect he even quite likes it. Avigdor, for all his loud proclaiming of how much he loves the female form, is definitely more than a little in love with his (male) friend. And Hodes, sweet Hodes, virtuous Hodes, loves that Anshl doesn’t smell or act like the other boys she’s met.

What I particularly loved about this adaptation is that it doesn’t shy away from Yentl’s complicated desires. It is not only that she wants what men have – books and a wife – but she also rejects the feminine. She doesn’t want to be a wife, she doesn’t want to cook someone else’s bread, she doesn’t want to give up her life. And yet she desires both Avigdor and Hodes, and wants to be both male and female. If god created Eve from Adam, then Adam was already both male and female. And if Adam was created in god’s form, then that means god is also both male and female. Mic drop.

In the final part of the show, when Yentl rejects her shame, takes off her male garb and binds her tefillin, it is a beautiful act of defiance. I don’t have to choose, she indicates. This is my body and this is who I am.

You’re damn right, Yentl.

YENTL runs until the 10th November. Book your tickets for one of the remaining performances @ https://www.monstroustheatre.com.au/current-projects/yentl

Tuesday 22 October 2024 6:00pm^
Wednesday 23 October 2024 7:15pm
Thursday 24 October 2024 7:15pm
Friday 25 October 2024 7:15pm
Saturday 26 October 2024 1:30pm
Saturday 26 October 2024 7:15pm
Sunday 27 October 2024 3:00pm
Tuesday 29 October 2024 6:00pm
Wednesday 30 October 2024 7:15pm
Thursday 31 October 2024 7:15pm
Friday 1 November 2024 7:15pm
Saturday 2 November 2024 1:30pm
Saturday 2 November 2024 7:15pm
Sunday 3 November 2024 3:00pm
Tuesday 5 November 2024 6:00pm
Wednesday 6 November 2024 1:30pm
Wednesday 6 November 2024 7:15pm
Thursday 7 November 2024 7:15pm

Photographer: Jeff Busby

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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The Visitors, taking place on the 26th of January, 1788, is a reimagining of the arrival of the First Fleet from the often unexplored Indigenous perspective. Adapted from a play of the same name by Jane Harrison, this Opera will take you on a powerful and sometimes confronting journey, allowing you to view a key event in Australian history from a perspective you might not have considered.

The narrative follows six Aboriginal Elders and one younger initiate. They are gathered on the shore, awaiting the arrival of the First Fleet into the harbour and are trying to reach a unanimous decision on how they will react. Do these visitors mean harm? Should they be allowed safe passage?

As a complete newcomer to the world of Opera, my expectations entering this show were of curiosity. I anticipated some pleasant music, powerful vocals, and a straightforward narrative. The Visitors was so much more than this. It is not just a performance but an invitation to listen to often unheard voices, to gain new insights and to consider different perspectives; it was a great privilege to be a part of the audience.

Jane Harrison, the creative force behind the play upon which this show is based, also provided her talents as the librettist for The Visitors. Harrison’s mastery of language and the extraordinary musical expertise of composer Christopher Sainsbury created a wonderful synergy. It’s challenging to find words that truly capture the sheer beauty and power of the music.

I rarely purchase merchandise at shows; however, if there were a CD recording for this performance, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. For now, however, this auditory treasure seems confined to the live performance. Yet this is for the best. To experience The Visitors in person was not just to hear the music but to be fully immersed in a transformative journey.

The music and story were brought to life by an incredible cast of seven performers: Marcus Corowa, Zoy Frangos, Lillian Fromyhr, Jess Hitchcock, Eddie Muliaumaseali’I, Elias Wilson, and Shauntai Sherree Abdul-Rahman. Each member of this ensemble is not only an exceptional vocalist but also a compelling and powerful actor.

They each artfully created a unique and distinct character, each with their own stories to tell and their own unique desires. They didn’t just sing the words; they breathed life into the narratives, crafting real, authentic characters that the audience truly cared for.

I would be remiss not to mention the others involved in bringing The Visitors to life. The set, designed by Richard Roberts, was simple yet incredibly striking, providing a backdrop that allowed the story to unfold with clarity and impact. Combined with expert lighting cues by Rachel Burke, they together created a visual landscape that perfectly suited the narrative.

And I of course, have to mention The Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra, who provided their musical expertise to bring the show together. I was lucky enough to have a view of the orchestra from the circle, and it was an absolute delight to see their talent and passion live alongside the performance. Every aspect of The Visitors was carefully crafted and expertly put together by a multitude of talented and passionate individuals.

The Visitors ran at the Playhouse for only one weekend. However, I hope this show and this exceptional cast will return for an entire season soon. CEO of Victorian Opera, Elizabeth Hill-Cooper, wrote that The Visitors is “an investment for the future of opera in this country and the telling of a tale from our young history with the insights from the oldest occupants of any land.”

These words hint that this brief stint of The Visitors was merely a prelude to something more enduring. Everyone deserves the opportunity to witness this performance.

This review also appears on It’s On The House, or checkout more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre Reviews.

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