‘Cable Street – E.1.’- They Shall Not Pass!

1936. The Spanish Civil War began. American Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, undermining Hitler’s claims of Aryan superiority. In England, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson; Politician Oswald Mosely’s British Union of Fascists, or Blackshirts fervently recruited.

Outside Germany, some admired the country’s economic recovery and organization. Others warned that Hitler’s militarism and dictatorship posed a growing threat to Europe. England didn’t enter the war for three more years.

Cable Street, on the southernmost edge of the East End’s Jewish district, was comprised of Jewish and Irish immigrants, plus struggling British. Families contended with similar troubles, but chiefly kept to their own. Antisemitism hovered like a black cloud.
Everyone looked for someone to blame for poverty and joblessness. Often violent Fascists and more ideological communists fanned separatist flames. People took sides.

In October, as a gesture of intimidation, Blackshirts marched through the East End. Tens of thousands of anti-fascist protesters blocked the streets. Demonstrators built barricades using carts, furniture, and debris. Clashes broke out with police who, attempting to clear the route, hardly distinguished between warring factions.

This is the story of that event, of The Battle of Cable Street and how it brought together residents, trade unionists, Jewish groups, Irish dockworkers, socialists, communists – the community.

Three factions are represented: Immigrant Jewish family, the Sheinbergs: Sammy Sheinberg (Isaac Gryn), his brother Moishe, a scholar (Ethan Pascal Peters), his sister, Rosa (Romona Lewis-Malley) his tailor father, Yitzak (Jez Unwin), his mother, Rachel (Natalie Elisha-Welsh) NOTE: Jez Unwin also convincingly plays the leader of the Blackshirts.

Immigrant Irish family, the Kennys: mother Kathleen (Debbie Chazen), daughters Mairead (Lizzy-Rose Esin Kelly) and Orlaith (Aoife Mac Namara), son Sean (Max Alexander-Taylor, also playing wandering guitar.) There’s a baby. Whose?

And poor locals, Ronald Williams (Barney Wilkinson) and his alcoholic mum, Edie, Preeya Kalidas

Personable but quick-tempered, Sammy is turned away from job after menial job because he’s Jewish. He finally secures one as a press man by lying.

Ronald is also finding it hard to secure work. “Bloody Jews got enough jobs already,” he mutters. Attracted to power and structure, he joins the Blackshirts, turning a blind eye to what he sees, but increasingly uncomfortable.

Levelheaded Mairead is concerned about her family. She works at a bakery starting at 4am and is secretly a poet. When the young woman hears communists are against fascism, she signs up, provoked by feelings of impotence.

Attracted to power and structure, angry and at loose ends, Ronald joins the Blackshirts. “I’m ready for a shake-up!” He turns a blind eye to what he sees, but is increasingly uncomfortable. The turnaround is something many went through, though often not in time.

Sammy, Ronald, and Mairead bump into each other’s lives, growing unwittingly involved. A sibling gets hurt in violent fallout provoking recrimination and revenge. How do we prevent from becoming “them”?

Songs ricochet between the three protagonists, communists and Blackshirts. The latter are less specific than they might be. With all the historical material available, this is a bit disappointing. Parents are also heard from. Most songs are lively and catchy; Sammy’s erupt zig-zag, rap-like. A ballad by Yitzhak emerges moving. Too many numbers say the same thing, however, and there are too many reprises.

Sandwich board newspapers- the four main journals at the time- reflect what each promotes. This is clever but doesn’t need two appearances. There’s a song about communists fighting for Spain and a song about world disunion. Talented authors Tim Gilvin and Alex Kanefshy –and they are talented- try to cram in too much. Cable Street is entertaining, but too long by half an hour.

Learning about the three households beyond social status would be intriguing as well as eliciting compassion. The piece is bookended by a contemporary guide leading a group that includes the daughter of a main character. At the least, it’s unnecessary, at the most too often employed. Debbie Chazen, a fine actress who also plays Mrs. Kenny, has BRIGHT red hair which unfortunately distracts throughout.

As Mairead, Lizzy-Rose Esi Kelly- exudes energy, practicality, and determination. Vocals are clarion, but sometimes can’t be understood. We see less of Ronald (Barney Wilkinson), who also has a fine voice. The character might evince more meanness while in Blackshirt employ. Isaac Gryn is a wonderful Sammy- agile (He could’ve played Billy Elliot), enthusiastic, hopeful, an , blindly convincingly furious.

Also featuring Michali Dantes, Annie Majin

Yoav Segal’s evocative Set includes a chicken wire-enclosed balcony on which the band plays. Downstairs features a poster-covered wall and stack of all-purpose, variously configured, wood furniture.
Costumes by Lu Herbert are realistic with nuanced bent towards ethnicity.

Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements (Tim Gilvin) are excellent.
Sound Design (Charlie Smith) is compounded by some accents mixed with lack of enunciation which tends to lose lyrics in group numbers.

Today, the Battle of Cable Street is remembered as one of Britain’s most famous anti-fascist actions. Murals, commemorations, books, and documentaries continue to mark the event in East London.

Production Photos by Carol Rosegg
Opening: Cable Street Mural. The copyright on this image is owned by Jim Osley and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

The Band: Keyboard –Garet Healey, Drums- Tina Lama, Bass- Martine G. Mauro-Wade

Brits Off Broadway presents
Cable Street, E.1. by Tim Gilin and Alex Kanefsky
Directed by Adam Lenson
Musical Director – Garret Healey
Through May 24, 2026
59E59 Theaters