Fast, furious and fiercely funny – Just For Us at the Menier

David Yosef Shimon Ben Illouz Haleivi Alexander Edelman (Alex Edleman to you and me) has for the past few weeks been filling the Menier Chocolate Factory auditorium with laughter with his witty stand-up routine about Jews, Olympians, Christmas and white supremacists. This may sound like a somewhat eclectic mix, but the way the Bostonian-raised comedian weaves it all together is nothing short of genius. You do need to be able to keep up, though, as Alex is king of that very Jewish trait of digressing – and why say something in two sentences when you can turn it into a lengthy monologue, right?

Describing Judaism as the Hotel California of religions (“you don’t get to leave when you’ve had enough”), Alex tells us about the sign-language communicating gorilla who mourned the death of Robin Williams, that the reason we smash a glass at a wedding is because it represents happiness and that Donald Trup’s son-in-law sits behind him in shul.

Like a cross between Jackie Mason and Woody Allen, and brought up in an orthodox home, Alex is naturally full of Jewish self-doubt – am I too Jewish? Not Jewish enough? Is vaccination against the Torah? – but takes care to explain what might not be clear to non-Jews or the less observant. This is high energy, highly intelligent humour.

Just For Us runs until 26 Feb – don’t miss it.

Menierchocolatefactory.com