Two Thousand Years

Genre: Drama
Opened 15 Sep 2005
Written: by Mike Leigh
Producer: National Theatre
Cast: John Burgess, Ben Caplan, Allan Corduner, Adam Godley, Caroline Gruber, Nitzan Sharron, Samantha Spiro, Alexis Zegerman
Synopsis: Secular Jewish parents struggling to cope with their son's fierce new dedication to the Hebrew faith.

What the critics had to say.....
NICHOLAS DE JONGH for THE EVENING STANDARD says, "Despite the play's thematic flaws, Leigh and his superb players know just how to keep an audience tantalisingly hooked." BEN RUSSELL for THE INDEPENDENT says, " A good, but slightly pedestrian play that lacks the layered richness of Leigh's finest stage and film drama." MICHAEL BILINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "Funny-sad exploration of the inherent tensions of family life and the nature of the world around us...This is a passionate, funny, moving and well-observed play." CHARLES SPENCER for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "It is absolutely terrific, at times as screamingly funny as Abigail's Party, at others as painfully touching and true such superb Leigh films as Secrets and Lies and Vera Drake." BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE for THE TIMES says, "Leigh's improvisational skills — actually the actors improvise while he prods, listens, selects, edits — have created a piece that is consistently absorbing and remarkably topical...almost all the time this is quality Leigh: amusing, touching, wise." JOHN THAXTER for THE STAGE says, "A funny but warmly touching story of secular Jewish parents struggling to cope with their son's fierce new dedication to the Hebrew faith."

External links to full reviews from popular press
The Independent
The Guardian
The Stage
The Times
Daily Telegraph

**Production photo by John Haynes