Review: THE MIKVAH PROJECT, Lockdown Theatre Festival BBC Radio 4

In an effort to create a cultural snapshot of these strange times, actor Bertie Carvel has created the BBC's Lockdown Theatre Festival; a radio broadcast of four plays that had their runs cut short by the shutdown. Josh Azouz's beautifully written The Mikvah Project was well-received when it first appeared at the Orange Tree Theatre as part of their Directors' Festival in 2019. In March this year it returned to critical acclaim with a new cast.

The play follows the tricky evolution of a relationship between two Jewish men, set in North London. Avi and Eitan meet while bathing in a mikvah; a small pool used for Jewish spiritual cleansing. Eitan is a distracted teenager who lacks direction and Avi is a thirty-five year old married man who is trying to start a family with his wife. As the pair talk, Eitan develops strong feelings for Avi, who is surprised by his own reactions to Eitan's advances.

As a radio play, the production works extremely well; with only two cast members, it is easy to follow who is who from the start. Josh Zaré reprises his role as the Arsenal-loving Eitan; friendly, cheeky and seemingly confident, which masks a huge amount of teenage insecurity. Alex Waldmann displays the obvious conflict of a man in love with his wife, but completely taken aback by the new feelings he develops for Eitan.

Through the medium of the radio, there is a loss of the physical connection that the men make and the visual clues to their individual feelings. Avi's physical rejection of Eitan when he first kisses him cannot be seen and so is reinforced by Waldmann's rising vocal aggression, but if you had never seen the play this would not be an issue. If anything, the audio-only element of the production enhances some aspects of the play. The script already narrates the thoughts, events and words of other characters, such as Avi's wife, so the flow of the play is constant.

The characteristics of both men are referred to and hinted at. Zaré is very adept at displaying the intensity of a teenage crush that overtakes everything else. Waldmann darts between feelings for his wife and flights of fancy regarding Eitan. The decision Avi makes to go on a long weekend to Alicante paid for with Eitan's bar mitzvah money remains outlandish, but the actors make it seem possible. They are swept away in the excitement of the moment, disregarding of any consequences or events yet to come.

As was the case with the stage play, it would have been inciteful if Azouz had included some exploration around modern and traditional Jewish opinions about homosexuality and family life. Judaism is a central aspect to the play, but it appears that the relationship is an issue because Avi is committed to his wife, rather than because the characters are both male.

Lex Kosanke's sound design also works very well, with enough atmospheric water splashes and echoes to reflect the mikvah and booming bass in the club scenes.

This is an intense and beautifully composed production, which feels honest and sincere. Despite the cruelty that this production was cut short, it's fantastic that it gets to reach a new and possible more diverse audience through Bertie Carvel's brilliant initiative.

The Mikvah Project is available on BBC Sounds as part of the Lockdown Theatre Festival

Photo Credit: The Other Richard

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