The cast of Cable Street [Johan Persson]

THE Battle of Cable Street was a major anti-fascist uprising in London on October 4, 1936, when a community blockade prevented Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) from marching through the East End.

This third run of Cable Street, Tim Gilvin and Alex Kanefsky’s sell-out musical that originated at Southwark Playhouse, traces the events that sparked the unrest. It follows a group of neighbours in the tense lead-up the confrontation, as Jews, Irish dockers, trade unionists, communists and local residents – more than 100,000 in all – united in defence of the streets they called home.

The musical centres on the intersecting lives of three young East Enders: Sammy (Isaac Gryn), a Jewish boxer searching for work who falls for Mairead (Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly), an aspiring Irish poet employed in a Jewish bakery; and Ron (Barney Wilkinson), a disillusioned labourer living with his alcoholic mother.

Their stories unfold against the growing threat of fascism. Ron flirts with joining the BUF, but the community’s resistance exposes its brutality and emptiness.

The score ranges from rap to klezmer, though the eclectic mix occasionally works against the show’s cohesion. Vocals soar and everyone gets the chance to shine.

Standout moments include the boy-band style BUF anthem, the witty newspaper routine Read All About It and the rousing No pasaran! that closes the first act. Sammy’s father Yitzhak (Jez Unwin) delivers a haunting Only Words.

The present-day framing device, in which a guide leads a walking tour of the area, feels unnecessary.

The talented cast work hard, and although this iteration lands unevenly, its spirited execution impresses.

Until February 28
marylebonetheatre.com