‘West Bank, UK’ arrives in Malibu.
By Jon Steely / Special to The Malibu Times
Imagine “The Odd Couple.” Now imagine a Middle Eastern version (Oscar is a Palestinian and Felix is an Israeli) that takes place in a flat in London. And now set it to music. Such is the play, “West Bank, UK.”
Is this play as odd as it sounds?
Yes, and it is also as fun and funny as it sounds.
Written and directed by Oren Safdie, with music and lyrics by Ronnie Cohen, “West Bank, UK” opened to well-deserved praise in New York last December and has made its way to Malibu, keeping the original New York cast.
After being away, Assaf (Jeremy Cohen), an Israeli who has been jilted by his girlfriend, returns to his apartment in the West Bank of London. Assaf enters his home only to find that it is occupied by Aziz (Mike Mosallam), a Palestinian refugee who has taken over the lease and moved in. Assaf demands that Aziz leave, but Aziz refuses to go.
Enter their landlord, an American named NYC, who settles this dispute by declaring that Assaf and Aziz must share the apartment (so she can use them to satisfy her personal desires, both sexual and drug related) or both face eviction.
Despite their strong and polarized political convictions, the two men initially find camaraderie in their mutual contempt for America and, for a while, their bizarre living arrangement works (up to and including sexual relations). Soon, however, as visitors representing Middle East tensions arrive, everything starts to unravel. Arguing and fighting leads to Assaf and Aziz setting up a dividing barrier down the middle of their apartment, separating their territories (metaphor alert!). Then things get very heated and very funny.
Cohen’s refreshingly diverse theatrical tunes and witty lyrics combined with Safdie’s knack for intelligent comedic direction keep this production riding high on a wave of enjoyment, humor and political satire. But this is not a Neil Simon play. At times, somewhat raw and racial comedy is used as a device to highlight the serious issues of Middle East conflict being examined during this entertaining evening of theater by the sea.
Regarding some of the play’s more controversial aspects and the decision to make “West Bank, UK” a musical, Safdie explained, “I wanted to write about a political situation. You can say a lot in a musical that you cannot say using regular dialogue.
“It’s very easy to be shocking just to be shocking,” Safdie continued. “I wanted to give voice to these two characters to show their political points of view. It’s good to get each side out there.”
When asked what drew him to play the part of Aziz, the very talented Mike Mosallam (himself, a devout Muslim) said, joking, “Well, there are not a lot of Arabic musical comedy roles out there to choose from…”
He continued, “It was that I loved the humanity of the characters and the story, with the writing touching on all sides of the issues. These are human feelings regardless of the characters’ origins or backgrounds. In the story, there is discussion of things that people are afraid to talk about. And the story is not only being told, it is set to music! This adds to the absurdity on both sides. Emotions are heightened in a great way … all to the benefit of the piece.”
At its weakest moments “West Bank, UK” plays like a television sitcom, with goofy antics and whacky visitors dropping in. But in an age dominated by reality TV, a good sitcom, particularly one that utilizes wonderfully gifted actors like Mosallam and Jeremy Cohen, is always nice to see. (And how many sitcoms are accompanied by a great four-piece band that plays a variety of musical genres with authentic precision? Not to mention the fact that the actors are also terrific singers.)
Safdie and Ronnie Cohen’s smart and entertaining collaboration (“West Bank, UK” is their third production together) ends with its two main characters squared off in a fight to the death. A fight, for which it is implied, there is no end in sight. Sound familiar?
“The characters do have things in common,” Safdie emphasized, “They end up roommates and they want to be friends. It is the outside world that puts pressure on them and pulls them apart.”
“West Bank, UK” will be performed through April 13 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. at The Malibu Stage Company, 29243 Pacific Coast Highway. Tickets are $25. Reservations and tickets can be obtained by calling 310.589.1998.