Tik-sho-ret Theatre Company
presents
YA’AKOBI AND LEIDENTAL by Hanoch Levin at
The Oval House Theatre, London
Translated by Shir Freibach
Directed by Ariella Eshed
Designer: Martina Von-Holn
Lighting Designer: Ben Turnbull
Composer: Tsivi Sharett, Alex Kagan
Musical Director: Tsivi Sharett
Choreographer: Lucy Cullingford
Production Manager: Sarah Kaldor
Assistant Director: Sharon Enav
Production Assistant: Sophie Williamson
Stage manager: Antigoni Antoniou
Press and Marketing: Chris Sakellaridis.
Cast: Cally Lawrence. Peter vanDoorn. Stephen Connery-Brown.
Sexy goddesses are certainly not size zero in this hilarious farce about the rise and fall of a small town diva and the two men in her life. Written by the acclaimed playwright Hanoch Levin, one of Israel’s leading dramatists, Ya’akobi and Leidental takes a comic and at times grotesque look at a love triangle in which two best friends fall for the same woman and her beautiful big behind.
“…wherever I turn, wherever I go, Bigtush will be there to impress!”
Using a physical, cabaret style, Tik-sho-ret’s playful production includes live piano music and passionate songs. But underneath the laughter there is also a touching recognition of our universal need to be loved.
Click on thumbnail for enlarged photo
For more production photos visit our archive...
The Oval House Theatre, London
Oval House Theatre (upstairs)
5th – 23rd June 2007
Tuesday - Saturday 8pm
Box Office tel. 020 7582 7680 Tickets £12 (£6 concs)
Buy Tickets Online (no fee) www.ovalhouse.com
52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW
Nearest tube is OVAL (Northern Line, 1 min) or VAUXHALL (Victoria Line and BR, 15 min)
Hanoch Levin One of the most established playwrights in Israeli theatre, Hanoch Levin was a major creative force in the development of Israeli theatre. Levin’s illustrious career spanned over 30 years with more than 50 plays to his credit, until his untimely death in 1999, aged just 56. His unique style has become an enormous source of inspiration for a generation of Israeli dramatists and his work continues to be performed in Israel and around the world to great acclaim.
Tik-sho-ret Theatre Company Established in 2004 by Ariella Eshed to give a platform to Jewish and Israeli theatre in the UK, promote cultural exchange through collaborations and create projects around communication and co-existence. For more information email info@tik-sho-ret.co.uk
Ya’akobi and Leidental is supported by the Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, the Institute of Israeli Drama, West London Synagogue and the cultural department of the Israeli Embassy.
Tsivi Sharett: Composer/Musical Director
Recent composition includes music for "Ya'akobi and Leidental" at the Oval House Theatre, the
Cockpit Theatre productions of "Edward II", "Love of the Nightingale",
and "Hippolytus" at the Orange Tree Theatre. As musical director she has recently worked at the
Chichester Festival, Holland Park Opera, Battersea Arts Centre and the Criterion Theatre. She composes
her own music and her CD "Open Toes and Everything" has been broadcast on BBC World Service
and London Live.
www.tsivi.co.uk
Ben Turnbull: Lighting Designer
Ben studied technical theatre at Middlesex University. Since then he has worked on many productions,
primarily in lighting and stage management. Shows include: "Fuerzabruta", "Arts Catalyst
" and "The BBC Electric Proms" at The Roundhouse, "The Phantom of the Opera" at
Her Majesty's Theatre, "Poetry Olympics" at The Royal Albert Hall, "The Wayward Council"
in various London venues and "Dick Whittington" at The Mermaid.
Lucy Cullingford: Choreographer
Lucy works as a choreographer and movement director and recently graduated with an MA in Movement Studies
from Central School of Speech and Drama. Movement Director credits include: "A Small Family Business
" and "Wuthering Heights" for the West Yorkshire Playhouse; "The Dumping of The Snark
" for Lawrence Batley Youth Theatre. Choreography credits include: "No Stone Unturned" and
"Missing Melanie" for Youth Music Theatre UK; "Mikey The Pikey" (Cameron MacIntosh Award
winner at NSDF 2005); "Moby Dick":, "Pigs", "Big Trouble in the Little Bedroom"
and "Thick As A Brick" for Hull truck Theatre; "Mother Goose", "Aladdin",
"Treasure Island" and "Alice in Boogie Wonderland" for Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.
Sarah Kaldor: Production Manager
Sarah studied Music and Drama at Brunel University before completing an MA in Theatre Studies with Directing,
at Royal Holloway. Directing credits include Pinter's "Night School", "Final Performance"
at the King's Head, "The Lonesome West" at Baron's Court and the opera "Dido and Aeneas"
by Purcell. Also a musician, Sarah has lent her cello playing skills to "Queens of the Stoneage",
"Martina Topley-Bird" and "Company FZ". She is now studying Arts Policy and
Management at Birkbeck and has just finished working as production manager for "iWitness" by
Joshua Sobal (Israel's foremost playwright) that enjoyed a very successful and controversial run at The
Finborough.
Sophie Williamson: Production Assistant
After graduating in 2006 from Fine Art BA at Goldsmiths College, University of London, Sophie moved to
Singapore to work on their inaugural Biennale and continued to work on various other international arts projects
around south-east Asia; as curator, co-ordinator or as artist. Since returning in March, she has worked
on several contemporary art exhibitions in London, before joining Tik-sho-ret. She is currently working
as Projects Manager at OVADA Gallery in Oxford.
Chris Sakellaridis: Press and Marketing
Chris is an amateur poet and playwright. He read English at Queen Mary and completed an MA in Social
Anthropology at UCL. He worked for Port Eliot LitFest where his interest in performance poetry grew.
His poem "Chant of The Dying Mermaids" was published in StimulusRespond in January. He is soon
to be working on a project with Sarah Kaldor.
Sharon Enav: Assistant Director
Sharon trained at the University of Middlesex on the Theatre Directing Programme. Assisting credits include:
"House Husband" (Camri Theatre, Tel Aviv), "Strangers" (Oval House Theatre), and "
The Wrong Sleep" (Pleasance Theatre). Directing credirts include: "Act Without Words I and II"
(Zoo, Edinburgh) and "Little Shop of Horrors" (Winston Theatre, Bristol).
Antigoni Antoniou: Assistant Stage Manager
Antigoni was born in Greece and came to London in 2002. She did her BA (Hons) in Dance and Performing Arts
and has also studied travel journalism. She is now working in dance projects both as a dancer and choreographer
and is also studying Arts Management in Birkbeck University. She is practising stage management with Tik-sho-ret
for their production of "Ya'akobi and Leidental".
A PUBLIC KIND OF PRIVACY by Dougie Blaxland in collaboration with First Draft Theatre Company
Ariella Eshed directs a brilliant new political satire with resonances of Orwell’s 1984 and Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus, A Public Kind of Privacy tells the tale of a rising political star struggling to reconcile a sense of her past self with her role in a government administration which infiltrates all areas of her life. A Public Kind of Privacy has been developed as a full length play by First Draft Theatre with the support of the Arts Council. It was first staged as a 35 minute one act play at The Hen and Chickens Islington in July 2006.
Dougie Blaxland, whose plays are published by New Theatre Publications, was the winner of the prestigious Pomegranate New Writing Festival 2004 for his play Moving In and Taking Over. The same play won the New Plays UK Play of the Year Award. In addition to working with First Draft Theatre, Dougie has written for am impressive list of companies including Badlands Theatre, Time Gentlemen, and Hemingways Emporium. His play, Chauntecleer and Pertelotte is currently on tour in the South West. He also runs the new writing forum for The Rondo Theatre Bath.
Visit the First Draft Theatre Company website for more details.
Venues and Dates 25th and 26th May The Marlborough Theatre Brighton 8.00pm Tickets 07786984900 7th June The Rondo Theatre Bath 8.00pm Tickets 01225 463362 8th and 9th June The Alma Tavern Theatre Bristol 7.30pm Tickets 0117 9467899 10th to 29th July The White Bear Theatre London 7.30pm Tickets 02077939193
YA'AKOBI & LEIDENTAL A rehearsed-reading at Hampstead Theatre 16th February 2006
Written by: Hanoch Levin
Translated by: Shir Freibach
Director: Ariella Eshed
Producer: Louise Harris
Assistant Producer: Mandy Dassa
Musical Director: Tsivi Sharett
Cast: Cornelius Booth, Wanda Opalinska, Sean Patterson
Hanoch Levin
One of the most established playwrights in Israeli theatre, Hanoch Levin
was a major creative force in the development of Israeli theatre. Levin’s
illustrious career spanned over 30 years with more than 50 plays to his credit,
until his untimely death in 1999, aged just 56. His unique style has become an
enormous source of inspiration for a generation of Israeli dramatists and his
work continues to be performed in Israel and around the world to great acclaim.
Ya’akobi and Leidental
In a cabaret style, Ya’akobi and Leidental one of his earliest plays, takes a
comic and at times grotesque look at the love triangle between two men and one
woman, all desperately trying to add meaning and excitement to their lives.
The play was first performed in 1972 at the Cameri Theatre, Tel Aviv.
click thumbnail for enlarged image (photos by Shira Klasmer)
PLANET PALESTINE A staged reading performed at The Gatehouse Theatre, Highgate Village 20th March 2005.
Written by: Sharon Garfinkel
Director: Ariella Eshed
Cast: Danielle Urbas, Einat Weizman, Alyn Gwyndaf, Matthew Bulgo, Nayef Rashid,
Muriel Abeshsera, Natalie Harris
This was part of a season of new Jewish writing organised by
Spiro Ark.
Palestine. 1947. Four Holocaust survivors struggle to create new lives in a new
country. The chaos is shown from several perspectives - Jewish, Palestinian
and British.
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HARD LOVE A rehearsed reading at Hampstead Theatre 26th January 2005
Written by: Motti Lerner
Translated by: Anthony Berris
Director: Ariella Eshed
Producer: Rivka Eisenberg
Cast: Ann Marcuson, Kerry Shale
Stage Directions read by: Danielle Urbas
"Hard Love" is an Israeli play by renowned playwright Motti Lerner. It has been playing since 2003 at the Haifa Theatre in Israel. The play describes the relationship between an ultra-orthodox Jewish woman and her ex-husband, who became an atheist. The play raises issues of faith and love, and relates to the difficulties that arise in relationships between people of different faiths.
A post-reading discussion, organised by the Spiro Ark, featured the director, Rabbi Shlomo Levin, and representatives of the community whose personal experiences echoed aspects of the play. The event was supported by the Israeli Embassy's Cultural Department.
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CULTURE AND IDENTITIES WORKSHOPS A series of educational workshops held in conjunction with the Identities photographic exhibition at the London Jewish Museum in July 2006
Through drama-based work, students had the opportunity to develop their response to the photographs and wider themes inspired by the exhibition, as well as explore issues around cultural diversity.
The workshops encouraged informal learning about Citizenship for years 7 and 8, complimenting, in particular, Unit 4 Britain, A Diverse Society, and also Unit 14 Developing Skills of Democratic Participation components of the Key Stage 3 national curriculum.
The Identities exhibition marked the 350th anniversary of the re-admission of Jews to Britain, illustrating the diversity of roots and experience among Britain’s minority communities. It included a collection of work photographed by members of the community depicting themes around Community, Family, Home, Festivals and Life Cycle. Our drama workshops allowed students to explore creatively some of the experiences behind the photographs, and relate them to their own cultural background.
click thumbnail for enlarged image (photos by Shira Klasmer)
