Round two of my theater exposure for the week. I spent the evening with angry communists from the 50s in Arnold Wesker’s “Chicken Soup with Barley” at the Royal Court Theater in Chelsea. Known for its encouragement of young playwrights and edgy material, the Royal Court draws in some of the most controversial work on the London stage.
The Royal Court Theater.
Chicken Soup With Barley centers on a family of Jewish communists in East London before and after the war. Though I’m sure it was revolutionary at the time of its release (1958), I found it rather dull. Watching the disintegration of the family, which I presume was supposed to be a metaphor for the collapse of the communist movement, felt more like watching people yell and cry and make tea for three hours with no greater message.
Needless to say, not my favorite. We’ll see if the class discussion next Tuesday helps to improve my opinion or not.
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