At London Mums Magazine, our contributors come from all walks of life, offering honest perspectives on theatre, cinema, restaurants and more. On Wednesday 11 March 2026, we attended the Marylebone Theatre to review Yentl. The review was a shared experience between myself, Ranjeet Panesar (48), and Verena McCarthy (86). What follows are Verena’s reflections on the production.
Seeing Yentl at the age of 86 inevitably brings a slightly different perspective. After a lifetime of theatre-going, I’ve found that the most memorable plays are not always the loudest or most dramatic, but the quieter ones that gently pose difficult questions.
Based on the work of Isaac Bashevis Singer, the story follows a young Jewish woman who disguises herself as a man in order to study religious texts. While the premise may seem simple, the play delves into deeper themes of identity, gender roles and the personal cost of pursuing knowledge.
What stood out most was the central performance. Yentl is a character constantly walking a fine line between courage and fear, and this tension was portrayed with sensitivity. There was a quiet determination in her, but also a palpable loneliness that comes from living a hidden life. Those moments felt sincere and carried much of the emotional weight of the production.
The staging was deliberately simple, which suited the material well. Rather than relying on elaborate sets, the focus remained on the actors and the language. At times, the pacing slowed slightly – particularly in the middle – and a tighter edit might have helped maintain momentum, but it never detracted significantly from the overall experience.
From my perspective, having lived through decades of social change, the themes felt especially resonant. When I was young, opportunities for women were far more limited than they are today. Watching Yentl fight for something as fundamental as the right to learn made the story feel both rooted in history and strikingly relevant.
Overall, Yentl is a thoughtful and reflective production. It may not rely on spectacle, but it lingers in the mind – asking questions rather than providing easy answers, which is often the mark of meaningful theatre.
We also had a lovely evening at the theatre, supported by welcoming staff, and thoroughly enjoyed the food and wine.
I am a mother of two teenagers and a London Mums magazine’s contributor. I review attractions, movies, restaurants, toys. In my profile picture, I am together with my partner in crime and London Mums’ editor Monica Costa.
