Isaac Bashevis Singer's story tells of the millennial frenzy caused in Poland's 17th-century Jewish community by the appearance of would-be Messiah Sabbatai Sevi. Katie London's adaptation for Tottering Bipeds will draw comparisons with Katie Mitchell's RSC Dybbuk, in that it evokes the world of the story in detail at the expense of narrative drive. An odd, fragmented bridging passage and coda sit awkwardly next to the brooding atmosphere of major scenes. Impressive, but unsure of its destination.
Written for The Independent.
Copyright © Ian Shuttleworth; all rights reserved.
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