ONE JEWISH BOY

BY STEPHEN LAUGHTON

 

A MESSED UP BITTERSWEET TALE OF INHERITED TRAUMA, THE MIRACLE OF CHANUKAH, RAGING ANTI-SEMITISM, THE END OF YOUTH AND STAYING IN LOVE...

 

And then he kicked me…

… told me Hitler was right….

… smacked me with the chain and called me a dirty f**king Jew.

 

Jesse is paranoid and he's frightened and it's messing up his relationship, his job, his daughter and his life, but Jesse has every reason to be frightened. From his next door neighbour and the micro-aggressions around why she would vote for Corbyn but could never support Blair, to the dinner party where his slightly left of him liberal mates can't quite grasp the difference between Likkudy foreign policy and the position of diaspora Jews. From his own wife and an argument about a hypothetical circumcision, to a vicious attack in the park that brought them together… Jesse is feeling the sting of rising prejudice in every part of his life.

 

Anti-Semitism rears its ugly head in a horrific way every 70-or so years, the last time it killed 6 million Jews, the time before that it resulted in their complete expulsion from eastern Europe – and with a 34% rise in violent assaults against Jewish people in the last year alone, Jesse can't bear to think where we'll end up this time.  

Not with a 9-month-old daughter to protect.ONE JEWISH BOY explores key moments over a four-year relationship between a nice, Jewish boy from North London and the nice, not-so-Jewish woman he falls for. With the shadow of hatred festering at its core, the play is a bittersweet comedy fuelled by anti-Semitism. Told out of chronology, it focusses on those filthy, ugly words that were kicked into Jesse – asking if the fear of hatred, could be even worse than hate itself…

 

 

JESSE - ROBERT NEUMARK-JONES

ALEX - ASHA REID

 

DIRECTOR - SARAH MEADOWS

PRODUCER - ED LITTLEWOOD

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - LIV EDMUNDS

DESIGNER - GEORGIA DE GREY

LIGHTING DESIGNER - LUCY ADAMS

COMPOSER - BENEDICT TAYLOR

STAGE MANAGER - HEATHER CHRISTIE

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - KATERINA CONSTANTINIDOU

 

AGE GUIDANCE 14+

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRODUCTION FEATURES FLASHING LIGHTS, HAZE, LOUD NOISES AND STRONG LANGUAGE, AS WELL AS THEMES THAT SOME AUDIENCE MEMBERS MAY FIND UPSETTING

 

Running time: 80 minutes (approx.) - No Interval

 

Tuesday 11th December 2018 - Saturday 5th January 2019
Week one: Tuesday - Saturday 7.30pm, Wednesday & Sunday matinees 3.00pm
Week two: Tuesday - Saturday 7.30pm, Wednesday & Sunday matinees 3.00pm
Week three: Thursday - Sunday 7.30pm, Friday - Sunday matinees 3.00pm
Week four: Wednesday - Saturday 7.30pm, Saturday matinee 3.00pm

 

SPECIAL EVENTS DURING ONE JEWISH BOY:

Friday 14th December: Gala Performance

Join us for an extra special opening night treat. We’ll follow the show with a special shabbat service, filled with music, contemplation and song. We’ll follow that with a special mingler with drinks and canapés. Dress code: Casual Festive Fancy.

The show will start at 19.30. The service at 21.00. Canapés at 21.30.

 

Thursday 20th December: Cast and Crew Q&A

Join writer Stephen Laughton in conversation with his marvellous cast and crew in a post-show discussion about the politics and themes of the play.

 

Saturday 5th January: A Vigil for Peace

Join us for a special closing night treat. We’ll follow the show with a short Havdallah service and selected readings of short plays that explore the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The evening will conclude with a recitation of kaddish, the Jewish memorial prayer for all those that have died.

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SUNDAY 23RD DECEMBER MATINEE WILL BE A RELAXED PERFORMANCE 

 

TICKETS £18.50 (£15.50 CONCESSIONS / ALL MATINEES / previews on tuesday 11th & wednesday 12th)
£10 PER TICKET FOR SCHOOL GROUPS on wednesday 12th & 19th matinees
GALA PERFORMANCE ON FRIDAY 14TH DECEMBER £25.50 (£20.50 CONCESSIONS)

For further ticket information please click here or call 0333 012 4963 for all booking enquiries.