CurtainUp
CurtainUp

The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings
www.curtainup.com


HOME PAGE

SITE GUIDE

SEARCH

REVIEWS

REVIEW ARCHIVES

ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP

FEATURES

NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings


LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway

NYC Restaurants

BOOKS and CDs

OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Connecticut
Philadelphia
Elsewhere

QUOTES

TKTS

PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS

LETTERS TO EDITOR

FILM

LINKS

MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us
A CurtainUp London London Review
Our Class


We’re classmates. I thought we were friends.— Wladek
Our Class
Justin Salinger as Abram
(Photo: Robert Workman)
Our Class is the story of a group of school children at school in Jedwabne, Poland from the year 1926. Bijani Sheibani who memorably directed The Brothers Size at the Young Vic takes this narrative history of a class of fictional Polish children up to the modern day. Some of the children are Catholic Polish and some are Jewish.

As the play opens the Jewish children are to one side of the square, the Polish children to the far end but then they cross the square and take up their seats in pairs in the classroom. We see the children introducing themselves, their name, the occupation of their father and what they want to be in life. So for example Dora (Sinead Matthews) says, "My name is Dora, my father is a merchant and I want to be a film star." Some are awkward and shy, speaking haltingly, others are self confident. Although adults play the children, it is sensitively done and the effect is charming.

The director has broken up this epic narrative with music, songs, chanting and dance. A folk dance with clapping and swirling handkerchiefs is followed by one Polish boy Rysiek (Rhys Rusbatch) being teased about his romantic feelings for Dora and both are held aloft on chairs as though they are bride and groom in a Jewish wedding. The playground is very physical as the children ape adult prejudices and the boys scuffle.

In 1935 Marshall Pilsudski dies and a new militant Polish nationalism emerges and the Catholic Church preaches hatred of Jews as Christkillers. One Jewish classmate Abram (Justin Salinger) announces he’s going to America and we then hear of him through his letters back to his home town. In 1939 Hitler invades Poland and ten days later the Red Army arrives in Jedwabne. Tensions emerge between the Polish nationalists and the Jewish community who are associated with the Communists and privation. In 1941 the Germans invade Soviet Poland.

Under German occupation, in the play a Jew, Jakub Katz (Edward Hogg) is accused of betraying his classmate Rysiek to the Soviet secret police and beaten to death by three of his Polish classmates at the instigation of Zygmunt (Lee Ingleby). The lovely Dora, newly married to the handsome cinema owner Menachem (Paul Hickey), is left alone at home with her new baby and attacked and raped by a group of her classmates. The whole Jewish population of Jedwebne, 1600 men women and children are herded into a barn, locked up and kerosene is poured over the barn and it is set alight. None of those in the barn lives. There are three Jewish survivors of the original class. Abram in America, Menachem has run away and is hidden by Polish farmer’s daughter Zocha (Tamzin Griffin), and Rachelka (Amanda Hale) has been rescued by Wladek, whom she marries after being made to convert to Christianity.

After the massacre, Abram unaware of this tragedy, continues to write from America with news of his rabbinical training and his growing family. We follow the survivors of the class, one of Jakub’s murderers Heniek (Jason Watkins) becomes a Catholic priest, Zygmunt continues to wheel and deal politically. Rachelka changes her name to the Christian Marianna and is given Jewish property as wedding presents by the looters who now are occupying Jewish houses and businesses. Every dish at her wedding breakfast, made by her horrid mother in law, has pork in it. After the war the Germans are blamed for the massacre. The second half sees a rapid history touching on Israel in 1971 where Menachem emigrates, Zocha in America, the fate of the mealy mouthed priest Heniek, the impact of the Solidarity movement in Poland and the recognition in the year 2000 of what really happened at the massacre in Jedwebne.

This harrowing story is staged with just the voices and movement of the actors. No scenery, no change of costume. As the barn burns, there is smoke and the gantry with a simple frame of light is lowered down towards the base of the stage which designer Bunny Christie has covered in old wooden floorboards and delineated with another neon light frame. In the second act a huge pile of grey ash reminds us of those that perished in the fire. This ash sticks to the clothes of those left behind. As the actors die they step outside the square but they return too as ghostly figures to haunt the perpetrators of the massacre.

The performances from this ensemble cast are of the very finest. I very much liked Sinead Matthews’ pretty and adorable Dora, Amanda Hale’s serious and sad Rachelka married in gratitude to a good man but uninspiring husband, Michael Gould’s Wladek, and losing her only baby after a few hours. Lee Ingleby’s Zygmunt is the scheming villain.

Sophie Solomon’s four piece band provide the live music. Credit must go to Bijan Sheibani for the dramatic variety he has injected into this remarkable story of courage, evil and denial. In 2001 Abram (his name changed to Baker by Ellis Island immigration) visits Poland and returns to the scene of the massacre. He tells us the names of his many, many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in a spirit of hope. Our Class is a piece of unforgettable theatre.

Subscribe to our FREE email updates with a note from editor Elyse Sommer about additions to the website -- with main page hot links to the latest features posted at our numerous locations. To subscribe, E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com
put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message -- if you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country.
Our Class
Written by Tadeusz Slobodzianek
In a version by Ryan Craig
Directed by Bijan Sheibani

With: Justin Salinger, Jason Watkins, Amanda Haler, Edward Hogg, Michael Gould, Paul Hickey, Lee Ingleby, Tamzin Griffin, Sinead Matthews, Rhys Rusbatch
Design: Bunny Christie
Choreographer: Aline David
Lighting: Jon Clark
Music: Sophie Solomon
Sound: Ian Dickinson
Running time: Three hours with one interval
Box Office: 020 7452 3000
Booking to 12th January 2010
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 3rd October 2009 performance at the Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 (Rail/Tube: Waterloo)

REVIEW FEEDBACK
Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
  • I agree with the review of Our Class
  • I disagree with the review of Our Class
  • The review made me eager to see Our Class
Click on the address link E-mail: esommer@curtainup.com
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V):

Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email . . . also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review.

London Theatre Tickets
Lion King Tickets
Billy Elliot Tickets
Mighty Boosh Tickets
Mamma Mia Tickets
We Will Rock You Tickets
Theatre Tickets
London Theatre Walks


Peter Ackroyd's  History of London: The Biography



London Sketchbook



tales from shakespeare
Retold by Tina Packer of Shakespeare & Co.
Click image to buy.
Our Review


©Copyright 2009,

GUCCI

|

Aluminium Chronograph

|

PEAK new fashion ladies venting air spring heighten casual sport shoes P8004E

|

Tiffany & Co Hook and Eye Ring

|

mbt shoes

|

MBT Shoes

|

Tiffany&Co Daisy 925 sterling silver rings

|

Rolex

|

Louis Vuitton

|

Affliction Boots

|

Nike Shoes

|

Nike Dunk

|

MP5 Wholesale

|

Atlanta Falcons

|

Abercrombie Pants Wholesale 002

|

Louis Vuitton

|

UGG Boots Mulberry Genuine Australia classic Tall Ugg Boots

|

GUCCI Handbags

|

UGG Boots Classic Argyle Knit Chocolate 5879

|

Louis Vuitton Business Card Holder Ebony

|

MBT Men's Kisumu Tan Sandals

|

MBT Chapa

|

ugg boots

|

MBT Kisumu 2 White Men's Sandals

|

Nike Shoes

|

Louis Vuitton Monogram Denim Messenger Bag PM m95865

|

Bailey Button Uggs

|

Sexy Costume QS0169

|

Phone Wholesale

|

Bikinis Sets

|

Wholesale

|

Car DVD Player

|

LV

|

Tourbillon

|

Tiffany tiffany replica ring

|

Superleggera J12 White

|

Tiffany

|

rolex

|

Mouse Wholesale

|

Nike Air Max 2003

|

Monogram Groom

|

GUCCI

|

Wholesale

|

Nike Air Max LTD (dark blue/white) No.372340

Elyse Sommer.
Information from this site may not be reproduced in print or online without specific permission from esommer@curtainup.com