A Refugee Love Story by Old Stock
Warwick Arts Centre
The upbeat joys of Jewish music and the very sobering facts of life for many who made it come together in this excellent, innovative offering.
Unpacking themselves from a shipping container, the small company (three performers and as many musicians) produce a riot of thumping music and a terrific story of flight and eventual settling.
Ben Caplan drives the show along as narrator and singer. Known in music circles as a genuinely original songwriter and singer, his stamp on this show is there for all to see and hear. It’s a stunning performance featuring everything from rollicking klezmer comedy songs to a full-on rendition of morning prayer.
The tale of two people fleeing both threat and real violence, who then find themselves grudgingly welcomed and eventually assimilated into Canadian society, has many quite deliberate parallels with the refugee crisis we face today. It has lessons for all of us which are no less important or well-stated for being delivered in such an entertaining way.
The show continues on its tour. See oldstocktour.co.uk for details.
