The Wesker Trilogy
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by Arnold Wesker
Directed by John Dexter
7th June 1960 (for 3 weeks) - Chicken Soup With Barley
28th June 1960 (for 4 weeks) - Roots
27th July 1960 (for 4 weeks) - I'm Talking About Jerusalem "We shall soon be seeing the entire trilogy. A very great experience is in store for London theatre-goers".
Robert Muller The Daily Mail 1960
The Characters In The Wesker Trilogy
Sarah Kahn . . . . . . . . Kathleen Michael
Harry Kahn, her husband . . . . . . . . Frank Finlay
Monty Blatt . . . . . . . . Alan Howard
Dave Simmonds . . . . . . . . Mark Eden
Prince Silver. . . . . . . . Charles Kay
Hymie Kossof, Sarah's Brother. . . . . . . . John Colin
Cissie, Harry's Sister, a trade-union organiser . . . . . . . . Cherry Morris
Ada Kahn, daughter of Sarah and Harry . . . . . . . . Ruth Meyers
Ronnie Kahn, son of Sarah and Harry . . . . . . . . David Saire
Bessie Blatt, wife of Monty . . . . . . . . Patsy Byrne
Beatie Bryant, a friend of Ronnie ... Joan Plowright
Jenny Beales, her sister . . . . . . . . Patsy Byrne
Jimmy Beales, her brother-in-law . . . . . . . . Charles Kay .
Mrs. Bryant, her mother . . . . . . . . Gwen Nelson
Mr. Bryant, her father . . . . . . . . John Colin
Frank Bryant, Her Brother . . . . . . . . Alan Howard
Pearl Bryant, her sister-in-law . . . . . . . . Cherry Morris
Stan Mann, a neighbour of the Beales . . . . . . . . Frank Finlay
Mr. Healey, a manager at the farm . . . . . . . . Anthony Hall
Sammy, Dave Simmonds' apprentice . . . . . . . . Terry Palmer
Esther, Harry's sister . . . . . . . . Jessie Robins
1st Removal Man. . . . . . . . Alan Howard
2nd Removal Man . . . . . . . . Charles Kay
Colonel Dewhurst . . . . . . . . John Colin
Dobson . . . . . . . . Frank Finlay
Daniel Simmonds. . . . . . . . Michael Phillips
Chicken Soup with Barley was first performed at The Belgrade Coventry on the 7th of July 1957 and the following week at The Royal Court. Wesker had planned that it would be the first in a trilogy of plays. The second play Roots was also performed first at The Belgrade and then at The Court. In 1960 with I'm Talking About Jerusalem all three were performed at The Court as The Wesker Trilogy
A number of themes bind the trilogy together. Basically it is a family; on another level it is a play about human relationships ; and on a third, and most important level, it is a story of people moved by political ideas in a particular social time.
There are many theories about Socialism. CHICKEN SOUP WITH BARLEY handles the Communist aspect. ROOTS handles the personal aspect, that is, Ronnie ( one of the characters) feels you can only teach by example. l'M TALKING ABOUT JERUSALEM is a sort of study in a William Morris kind of Socialism. If you like, the three plays are three aspects of Socialism, played out through the lives of a Jewish family. These are not true life stories. They are distillations.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH BARLEY is about the family, Sarah, Harry, Ada and Ronnie. ROOTS is about Ronnie through Beatie Bryant, though he is never seen. l'M TALKING ABOUT JERUSALEM is about Ada and her husband Dave.
My people are not caricatures, they are real ( though fiction). And though the picture I have drawn of them is a harsh one, yet still my tone is not of disgust. I am at one with these people - it is only that I am annoyed with them and myself.
Arnold Wesker
"The theme is a vast one and Mr Wesker is splendidly equipped to handle it. Like many Jewish writers, he thinks internationally, yet feels domestically; and it is this combination of attributes that enables him to bring gigantic events and ordinary people into the same sharp focus"
Kenneth Tynan, The Observer