The play opens in the kitchen of a Jewish family; we see Rivka being fitted for her wedding dress by her grandmother Malka while her friend Leela flicks through a copy of OK! magazine. They discuss Victoria Beckham and her response to her husband’s alleged infidelity. Rivka’s father Shmuley arrives home and is visibly moved by the sight of his daughter dressed or her wedding, particularly as the dress belonged to his late wife.

We realise that Rivka is wearing a wig and she asks Leela her opinion of it. Her grandmother shares her memories of wearing a wig for the first time when she was married. There is talk about the arrangements for the wedding which is only two weeks away.

Leela asks Rivka to cover for her so that she can meet her boyfriend Patrick. He is a tree-sitter protesting about the destruction of a nearby wood, but she is Hindu and has not told her mother about her relationship. Their talk turns to sex – Rivka is forbidden by Jewish law to touch her fiance David before they are married and is becoming very nervous about the impending wedding. She is also afraid that there may not be any physical chemistry between them when they eventually marry.

David arrives. When they are alone together David tells Rivka a story from the Book of Ruth about how although your wife might be almost a stranger to you, you should still commit. Rivka is filled with even greater doubts.

Shmuley enters in confusion. Word has reached him about a controversy over the wearing of the sheitels (wigs). A chance remark from Victoria Beckham has led to an investigation into the source of the hair used in the wigs that Jewish women must wear to cover their own hair after marriage. It seems that the hair may come from a temple in India where it is sacrificed during the worship of idols. If this proves to be true then the wearing of these wigs will be forbidden. A Rabbi has gone to India to fact find.

David goes to call his father. Shmuley does not know what they should do. Rivka becomes upset – her perfect wedding is under threat.

It is three days later and we meet Leela, Rivka and Patrick in the kitchen. They discuss the contents of OK!, reminisce about their past and talk about Patrick’s activities. Malka is friendly to both Leela and Patrick. Inadvertently Patrick puts his soup bowl into the wrong sink – the family have separate sinks for milk and meat. Rivka panics and cleanses the area and tries to explain why it is so important to keep things separate.

Patrick tries to understand about Rivka’s wig and he touches her real hair. Rivka is electrified – this is the first time she has been touched by any man other than her father – she is clearly attracted to Patrick. Leela and Patrick exit and David arrives. Rivka tries to test her strength of feeling for him by getting him to touch her and pretends there is something in her eye. She clearly feels nothing and is devastated.

It is another week later. Rivka, Malka, David and Leela are all in the kitchen. They are trying to make sense of the situation at the temple in India and what it might mean to them by referring to copies of the Talmud – Rabbinic discussions about Jewish law. David and Shmuley talk about how their respective actions have alienated their families – Shmuley wanted to become a Rabbi but his family were not religious, whilst David’s family wanted him to become a Rabbi but he refused. Malka is sceptical about their discussion – whatever they resolve she feels that they will ultimately be told what to do by those in power in Jerusalem. Rivkais still upset about the lack of clarity – the wedding is days away.

When he is alone with Malka, Shmuley admits that he is worried that Rivka is marrying too young – he fears she might rebel. Malka tries to reassure him. David reappears and is excited – he feels that he has resolved the issue and that the wearing of the wig might be allowed.

The phone rings and the news is that some wigs have been banned because of the Indian hair. Shmuley prepares to burn Rivka’s wig – it’s what others in the community are doing. He tells Malka to take off her wig too.

Rivka retrieves her wig from the fire and puts it on and David becomes increasingly upset. He is agitated about what others will say; he does not want to break the rules.

When they are alone Malka and Rivka drink and talk. Rivka confesses that she felt no physical attraction to David. Malka tells her of an affair that she had with a woman when she was young and that although in her heart she wanted this woman, the right thing to do was to go back to her husband and live a ‘proper’ life.

Rivka is still confused and asks Shmuley how you know if you really love someone. He tells her you can never know, there is always doubt and one must always struggle.

The scene is the wood, late at night. We see Rivka and Patrick on a small platform high in a tree. There is the sound of other protesters in the camp. Together they eat and drink and talk about Leela, and Rivka breaking the rules by being out with Patrick. Suddenly there is action – there has been a tip off about an eviction in the morning and the protesters must make ready. Rivka is suddenly determined to stay in the tree and although Patrick warns her that things will be difficult she stands firm. At the last moment Patrick kisses her – she rips off her wig and throws it out of the tree…

We find Rivka asleep under a blanket in the tree – the sound of a bulldozer is approaching and we hear the chanting of the protestors. Patrick brings her breakfast and it is clear that they have slept together. The security guards grow closer – Rivka suddenly becomes upset – she feels guilty about Leela and how she has betrayed her friend. She also knows she has disgraced her family by staying out all night with a man. Patrick has to leave to support the demonstration but Rivka is determined to stay in the tree. He leaves her alone and we hear the security guards clashing with the demonstrators. Smoke starts to appear up in the tree. To stave off her rising panic Rivka recites Jewish prayers. When she is eventually confronted by the security guards she attacks them in the way Patrick told her to.

Rivka is arrested.

We see Malka in the kitchen sitting waiting, her head uncovered. Shmuley enters with Rivka who is covered in mud, bruised with her clothes ripped and very shaken. Malka is horrified that the neighbours will have seen her.

The phone continues to ring. Shmuley has still not made a decision about the wearing of the wigs. He tries to protect Rivka as Malka berates her for her behaviour.

Patrick arrives to check on Rivka and tries to return her wig which is now in a terrible mess. As soon as Malka sees Rivka and him together she knows what has happened between them. Shmuley offers Patrick tea despite Malka wanting him to leave and he enjoys hearing from Patrick about Rivka’s bravery in the tree. Minutes later when he sees his daughter touching a cut on Patrick’s head he suddenly realises what has been going on. Shmuley is devastated and then discovers that Malka has also shared with Rivka the secret about her affair. Rivka protests that her father told her to have doubts.

Shmuley in a panic tries to rescue the situation. He pleads with Patrick not to tell anyone about what has happened to protect Rivka’s reputation. Rivka protests that things cannot go back to the way they were before.

Malka enters with a scarf covering her head. Rivka feels betrayed – her grandmother had questioned the rules and suggested change but has now reverted to type. Malka is afraid of what others will say about them.

David is due to arrive and Malka frantically tries to remove the mud from the kitchen and accuses Shmuley of indecision and weakness. Malka takes charge. Shmuley feels torn – he chose to become an Orthodox Jew but knows that Rivka had no choice about her life. Patrick tries to persuade them that there is another side to Rivka but they do not want to hear.

Shmuley explains how he has never felt he truly belonged in the community, and that he was mistrusted because of his upbringing. He pleads with Rivka not to spoil their reputation now. Rivka says she cannot lie to David. Shmuley tells her then that she must leave.

In the midst of this Leela arrives. She announces that she has finally told her mother about the relationship with Patrick and it has been accepted. David arrives and admits to Rivka that he has made a decision to not follow what his family do – he has not agreed with the ruling on burning wigs and he will be different.

Rivka tells him that she and Patrick have slept together. Both Leela and David are devastated. She tries to make David realise it was a mistake but he cannot accept it and Rivka gives him back her engagement ring. Leela goes to leave but when she realises that Rivka is being thrown out of her home she tells Patrick to give her address to the squat.

Malka will not relent – Rivka must now make her own way or the community will never respect the family again.

David suddenly changes his mind and urges Rivka to put the ring back on but Rivka refuses. He is desperate not to lose her but again she stands firm, asserting that it would not be honest.

Malka turns on Leela, blaming her for leading Rivka astray. In turn Leela berates herself for spending so much time with this family when she misjudged her own mother.

Rivka gets her bag and goes to leave but Shmuley relents. He unpacks her bag although Malka is against it. Rivka is astonished that Shmuley understands her more than her grandmother. Shmuley asserts that from now on he will make his own decisions although he doesn’t know what is right. He wants his daughter to live her own life.

The phone starts to ring again. Rivka is left smoothing what is left of the wig.