Following the death of their grandfather, in the midst of the 2019 allegations of antisemitism within the Labour Party, Jewish twins Lauren (Gemma Barnett) and Ben (Charlie Cassen) are recruited by Malcolm Spivak to “do something about it”. Malcolm’s plan is to kidnap Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Nick Cassenbaum’s hilarious script satirises the media’s frenzied attacks on Jeremy Corbyn in the lead up to the 2019 General Election. Although set in 2019, there are clear modern-day parallels; claims of antisemitism are frequently used to discount any criticism of the State of Israel and its actions in Gaza. As well as being a sharp satire, the play excels as a spoof of gangster, heist, and spy movies. The playful script, dynamic direction, and evocative sound and lighting design perfectly pastiche well-known tropes from these movies, from assembling the team and planning the job to car chases and shootouts.
As well as narrating the story as Lauren and Ben, Gemma Barnett and Charlie Cassen play the many side characters. Like characters from a Guy Ritchie movie, each character is quirky and distinct, including a female rabbi with political aspirations and a nonagenarian Holocaust survivor. Both actors’ skilful performances and Emma Jude Harris’s slick and dynamic direction ensure that the pace remains snappy and the characters feel distinct, even during scenes featuring many different characters trading rapid back-and-forth dialogue. The most iconic character is the mastermind of the whole scheme, Malcolm Spivac. Cassen channels Tom Hardy in Legend and Peaky Blinders to embody this character with absolute commitment. Cassen totally transforms his physicality and voice, and seamlessly adopts the mannerisms of an aging, ticked off geezer. Every one of Malcolm’s lines is laugh-out-loud funny.
Cassen’s performance as Malcolm is so entertaining that, by contrast, his role as Ben – ostensibly one of the dual protagonists – is uninteresting. The character is a wet blanket, who never makes a single decision and is instead just swept along by the story without agency. His only impact on the plot is driving a getaway vehicle, a job that could easily have been given to one of the more interesting side characters. Lauren is a far more engaging character; she takes a more active role in the events of the story, and Barnett plays her with both humour and heart. I don’t think much would be lost if the character of Ben were cut entirely from the play, and focus given to Lauren as the sole protagonist. This would free up Cassen and give the side characters that he so skilfully portrays even more opportunity to shine.
Overall, Revenge: After The Levoyah is a delightfully entertaining satirical spoof comedy, brought vividly to life by a two extremely talented actors and a highly skilled director. Although imperfect at times, Revenge: After The Levoyah is absolutely hilarious, with just the right amount of poignancy underscoring its delightful mayhem.
Revenge: After The Levoyah runs until 24th January 2026, with tickets available at https://sohotheatre.com/
Reviewer: Charles Edward Pipe
Reviewed: 11th December 2025
North West End UK Rating: