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Critics Say Christmas Day at the Almeida Is Provocative, Powerful and Unfinished

Early reviews describe a provocative Almeida premiere many find compelling despite its rough edges.

Overview

  • Sam Grabiner’s new play follows a North London Jewish family on December 25 as arguments over Gaza, identity and rising antisemitism overwhelm a fraught gathering.
  • James Macdonald directs a cast led by Nigel Lindsay, Bel Powley, Samuel Blenkin, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd and Callie Cooke, with Jamie Ankrah appearing in disruptive cameos.
  • Reviewers single out Miriam Buether’s oppressive design, featuring a looming heater and the rumble of the Northern Line that heighten the sense of danger.
  • Coverage praises the energy and performances while describing the writing as elliptical or unfinished, with onstage shocks that include brief nudity, blood, vomiting and a dead fox.
  • The production runs about 110 minutes without an interval at London’s Almeida Theatre, with the engagement currently scheduled through 8 January.