Imagine This
Recently Updated
Introduction to "Imagine This"
"Imagine This" premiered in London’s West End at the New London Theatre on November 19, 2008, following previews from November 4. With music by Shuki Levy, lyrics by David Goldsmith, and a book by Glenn Berenbeim, this musical opened after a tryout at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal in July 2007. Set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, it ran for just 32 performances, closing on December 20, 2008. Directed by Timothy Sheader, it starred Peter Polycarpou as Daniel Warshowsky and Leila Benn Harris as Rebecca. Despite its ambition to inspire through a play-within-a-play, harsh reviews and economic woes cut its run short, marking it as a bold but ill-fated West End venture.
The Creative Team Behind the Show
Shuki Levy, a composer known for "Power Rangers" and "Inspector Gadget," wrote the music, driven by parallels between Masada and the Holocaust. David Goldsmith’s lyrics paired with Glenn Berenbeim’s book, which framed the story as actors staging a historical drama. Timothy Sheader, later of Regent’s Park fame, directed, with choreography by Liam Steel. The cast featured Polycarpou’s commanding Daniel, Harris’s earnest Rebecca, and Michael Matus in a comic role. Producers Beth Trachtenberg and Robert G. Bartner banked on its emotional weight, but the creative vision clashed with critical tastes, sinking its prospects.
A Tale of Hope Amid Despair
In 1942 Warsaw Ghetto, Daniel Warshowsky leads a Jewish theatre troupe rehearsing a play about the Masada siege of 70 CE, aiming to lift spirits. His wife is snatched by Nazis, and resistance fighter Adam, hiding from capture, joins the cast after Daniel’s son is arrested. As deportations to Treblinka loom, the troupe performs, blending their reality with Masada’s defiance. Love blooms between Adam and Rebecca, but the Nazis close in. The musical ends with a bittersweet reprise of “Imagine This,” the actors in pre-war attire, symbolizing fleeting hope against inevitable tragedy a narrative critics found both moving and manipulative.
Performance and Reception
Opening amid a recession, "Imagine This" faced brutal reviews after its November debut. The Guardian’s Matt Wolf called it “conceptually cheesy,” and Variety’s David Benedict slammed its “schematic” writing. The Telegraph branded it “morally dubious,” accusing it of trivializing the Holocaust, though the Sunday Telegraph gave a rare four-star nod. Audiences saw 16 previews and 16 regular shows before its abrupt closure, with producers citing “negative press” for dismal ticket sales. Polycarpou’s dignity and Sheader’s stark staging earned praise, but the show’s 32-performance run reflected a public and critical rejection of its tone.
Legacy in West End Theatre
"Imagine This" remains a West End cautionary tale, its month-long run dwarfed by peers like "Les Misérables." Its 2010 PBS airing and DVD release, with a panel featuring Sheader and Holocaust scholar Thane Rosenbaum, offered a second life, earning modest praise. A 2016 German staging in Münster, attended by Levy, showed niche appeal, but no major revivals followed. Unlike "Cabaret," which deftly wove Nazis into musical theatre, "Imagine This" stumbled, its earnestness and schmaltz alienating London. It’s a footnote of ambition undone by timing and taste, preserved more in debate than on stage.