Faygele
Reveiw by Abi
⭐⭐
Now playing at the Marylebone Theatre, Faygele sets out to tell an important story about queer identity within a religious community but sadly struggles to land with the emotional impact it strives for.
During his Bar Mitzvah celebration, Ari Freed's father uses a homophobic Yiddish slang word to strike him down. Ari's sense of self fractures as the play explores his struggle in the aftermath, battling both his faith and identity before his suicide five years later. The decision to frame Ari as a ghost feels overly theatrical and detracts from the poignant reflection on life, faith, and identity that the piece aspires to be. However, the show’s main weakness lies in its writing and direction.
The production feels as if it’s been staged using theatrical techniques as a checklist rather than utilised for purposeful storytelling. Instead of deepening the narrative, these choices pull audiences focus and prevent the actors from delivering grounded performances. The ensemble swings between extremes, with loud outbursts and dramatic highs and lows, but rarely settles into anything that feels fully lived-in or emotionally resonant. This lack of nuance in acting sadly mirrors the piece’s own shortcomings. Instead of delving into the layered tensions of being LGBTQ+ within a strictly observant community, the narrative remains superficial, offering familiar themes without a fresh insight or depth.
Despite its shortcomings, Andrew Paul is exceptional as Rabbi Lev. Paul’s performance is a quiet triumph, bringing warmth, depth, and a much-needed sense of truth to the stage. His performance and character prove that with the right material and direction, the production could have been the impactful story it had hoped to be.
Ultimately, while Faygele seeks to confront the challenges of identity and belonging, it paints Judaism in broad, unfavourable strokes, heavily leaning into stereotypes. In a time of rising Anti-Semitism and widespread Jewish hate, this feels especially disheartening. What we need onstage right now are stories that reflect the full, rich spectrum of Jewish life - not just its pain.