THEATRE / Broken Heads - BAC, London SW11

The influence of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather hangs heavily over Simon Blake's new play, which constantly gives the impression that it would rather be a film. A series of short, unsustained scenes (many overlaid with music) traces the tense family and ruthless business life of a British Jewish family. Aaron Nathan, a survivor of the Holocaust, is driven by a desire to belong; so when a rampantly anti-Semitic businessman threatens his family's livelihood he takes drastic action which divides the loyalty of his two sons and sets brother against brother. Inter-cut with documentary-style facts about life in the death- camps, the play struggles to come to grips with life-and-death issues - the guilt of survivors, violent resistance versus passive acceptance, religious and national identity - in a thriller-like format, which makes the beleaguered Nathans look increasingly like a particularly nasty branch of the Mafia. The young cast gives committed performances, but while there's plenty to admire and enjoy in Blake's chic production, it's a case of style triumphing over content, robbing the subject of impact and dignity.

To 2 Aug (071-223 2223)