Chicken Soup with Barley
Encyclopedia
Chicken Soup with Barley is a 1956 play by British
playwright
Arnold Wesker
. It is the first of a trilogy
and was first performed on stage in 1958 at the Belgrade Theatre
in Coventry
, where Wesker's two other plays of that trilogy—Roots
and I'm Talking About Jerusalem—also premiered. The play is split into three acts, each with two scenes.
The play is about the Jewish Kahn family living in 1936 in London, and traces the downfall of their ideals in a changing world, parallel to the disintegration of the family, until 1956. The protagonists are the parents, Sarah and Harry, and their children, Ada, and Ronnie. They are Jewish Communists, and Wesker explores how they struggle to maintain their convictions in the face of World War II
, Stalinism
, or the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
. Sarah is an adamant Socialist; she is strong, family-minded, honest though bossy; Harry, her husband, is weak, a liar, not at all manly and lacks conviction; Ada is extremely passionate about what she believes in, especially Marxism
, and, like the others, is also romantic both personally and politically; and finally Ronnie is a youthful idealist and just as romantic as Ada.
A major revival, starring Samantha Spiro
, was staged at the Royal Court in the summer of 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Arnold Wesker
Arnold Wesker
Sir Arnold Wesker is a prolific British dramatist known for his contributions to kitchen sink drama. He is the author of 42 plays, 4 volumes of short stories, 2 volumes of essays, a book on journalism, a children's book, extensive journalism, poetry and other assorted writings...
. It is the first of a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
and was first performed on stage in 1958 at the Belgrade Theatre
Belgrade Theatre
The Belgrade Theatre is a live performance venue seating 858 and situated in Coventry, England. It was the first civic theatre to be built after the Second World War in Britain and as such was more than a place of entertainment...
in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, where Wesker's two other plays of that trilogy—Roots
Roots (play)
Roots is the second play by Arnold Wesker in The Wesker Trilogy. The first part is Chicken Soup with Barley and the final play I'm Talking about Jerusalem. Roots focuses on Beatie Bryant as she makes the transition from being an uneducated working-class woman obsessed with Ronnie, her unseen...
and I'm Talking About Jerusalem—also premiered. The play is split into three acts, each with two scenes.
The play is about the Jewish Kahn family living in 1936 in London, and traces the downfall of their ideals in a changing world, parallel to the disintegration of the family, until 1956. The protagonists are the parents, Sarah and Harry, and their children, Ada, and Ronnie. They are Jewish Communists, and Wesker explores how they struggle to maintain their convictions in the face of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, or the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
. Sarah is an adamant Socialist; she is strong, family-minded, honest though bossy; Harry, her husband, is weak, a liar, not at all manly and lacks conviction; Ada is extremely passionate about what she believes in, especially Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
, and, like the others, is also romantic both personally and politically; and finally Ronnie is a youthful idealist and just as romantic as Ada.
A major revival, starring Samantha Spiro
Samantha Spiro
Samantha Spiro is an Olivier Award-winning English actress. She is known for portraying Barbara Windsor in the stage play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick and the television film Cor, Blimey!, and DI Vivien Friend in M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team.-Background:Born in Mill Hill, Spiro grew up...
, was staged at the Royal Court in the summer of 2011.
External links
- Synopsis on Arnold Wesker's homepage.
- Arnold Wesker discusses Chicken Soup with Barley on the BBC World Book ClubWorld Book ClubWorld Book Club is a radio programme on the BBC World Service. Each edition of the programme, which is broadcast on the first Saturday of the month with repeats into the following Monday, features a famous author discussing one of his or her books, often the most well-known one, with the public...
- A review of Chicken Soup with Barley.
- Chicken Soup with Barley at the Nottingham Playhouse.