Tim Gilvin and Alex Kanefsky’s musical is marked by its ambition. The show, telling the story of the 1936 protest against a fascist march in London’s East End, is big in scope and full of ideas. This comes at a price, and there are snags despite this being the third iteration to be staged. But using the history – indeed, expanding on it to provoke serious thought – and a strong score make this a grand, impressive affair.
Three strong leads are the focus. Isaac Gryn plays a local Jewish youth, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly an Irish girl and Barney Wilkinson a young man new to London from the north of England. They all cover a lot of ground, sound great with difficult songs and illustrate, effectively, the complexity of the community the action is set in. The really smart move is to include a wannabe fascist among the trio. Giving time to his concerns – his radicalisation, you might say – is a brave move that benefits the show hugely.
The stories are opened out by a hard-working cast. We get perspectives from each of the younger characters’ families (parents get strong songs) and there are some neat combinations of roles. The cast does a lot of doubling up and, despite its efforts and super-speedy costume changes, this is not always successful. It’s greedy of me, I know, but the production could really do with a couple more bodies. Director Adam Lenson’s work is commendable (he knows the power of a cascading leaflet from his work on Ordinary Days!), but the constant changes left me, if not the cast, a bit breathless.
Kanefsky’s slightly baggy book is full of great ideas. A framing device of an East End walking tour is good but overused. Similarly, having one of our central characters as a part-time poet has mixed results. And I wonder if it might have been stronger to avoid a romantic subplot altogether? Songs flesh out the story better, and one about newspapers is a highlight (not least for Ethan Pascal Peters and Romona Lewis-Malley as The Daily Mail and The Times). But credit where it’s due: Kanefsky gives us even more after the interval. We don’t just get that famous battle (Lenson does very well here) and its aftermath, but rent strikes in the area are also included. Highlighting another topic that continues to be relevant is a powerful move.
Most importantly, Gilvin’s music and lyrics are a huge achievement. The score uses all kinds of styles and the words are intelligent and demand attention. There are some wild moments to enjoy: the inclusion of rap and the ‘¡No pasarán!’ slogan from the Spanish Civil War are both excellent, though imagining the BUF as a boy band is hampered by its execution. But the show relies on a collection of solid songs that tap into a current mood of unrest while acknowledging the history of protest. Convinced about the power of musicals, the whole team carries the crowd with it. Cable Street is guaranteed to give you goosebumps.
Until 28 February 2026
www.marylebonetheatre.com/productions/cable-street
Photo by Johan Persson
