Five new shows to see this month

Fans of Jewish comedy can look forward to two evenings of laughs. This Thursday 12 November Debra Tammer, who has just returned to the UK having performed on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, will be hosting a C&MP (comedy and music party) at Sanctum Soho with a line-up that includes Josephine Lacey, Carey Marx, Adam Coumas, Charlotte Fox and Katie Pritchard. Then a week later she is hosting a second C&MP at The Stag in Belsize Park, featuring Alfie Packham, Ollie Horn, Sharifa Butterfly, Maria Shehata and harpist extraordinaire Sam Hickman.

At the Radlett Centre on 28 November is Rabbi Santa’s Night of Comedy. Celebrating its 10^th year, the show features award winning comedians including “Welsh Seinfeld” Bennett Arron, Mark Maier, Andrea Hubert, Dominic Holland and Richard Morton. Promising an evening of Yuletide and Jewltide joy, the final line up is still to be confirmed.

DYING TO LAUGH 

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You might think it’s a subject with little to laugh about, but Wits End — A Comedy About Death at the Circle and Star is a hilarious portrayal of a Jewish family’s dynamics following the death of a loved one. Set in upstate New York, the play examines the relationship between family members, such as the one who has financial responsibility and his sibling who has the hands-on responsibility for their parent. The contrast between the physically present relative and the distant one is just one of the many storylines.

“The play is light-hearted and very much full of fun,” says playwright Estee. “Yes, there has been a death, but the passing has been a happy release, so the play is not sad. It is just very funny with characters like a controlling sister, an aunt who is insane and a rabbi who has been found on Google.

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“The story asks how much do you owe a man you never really knew? One son gave him 14 years. The other paid for all of it, from three thousand miles away, and did not come. Their sister has thoughts about both, and she is not going to keep them to herself. The rabbi has never met the deceased, the eulogy has the wrong name in it and the grave, although nobody has noticed it yet, is the wrong size.”

Estee’s writing career began as a speechwriter in her native New York, and she says this was excellent training for her move to playwriting. “My work was writing words for other people to say, everyone from people at simchas to political figures. It was a good discipline to come from because I understand the importance of composing words that will suit the person who ultimately says them.”

Now living in the UK, Estee went on to study for her master’s in writing musical theatre and she is now studying for a PhD in the Mechanics of Comedy in Musical Theatre Performance. Making his directing debut is Steve Furst, artistic director and co-founder of the Circle and Star Theatre.

Wits End – A Comedy About Death runs until 22 November at The Circle and Star Theatre, 28 Heath Street, Hampstead.

SINGING SENSATION

The Jewish Dramatic Association of London is hosting another musical evening at JDAL Sings! is at Upstairs at the Gatehouse on 16 November. Featuring a selection of show tunes by established Jewish composers and songwriters along with new work by budding musicians the event will showcase familiar tunes including songs from Lionel Bart’s Oliver, and Irving Berlin’s There’s No Business Like Showbusiness

“We’re very excited about this event,” says JDAL founder Natan Paul-Collis. “This show that features the biggest split we have had between new and old songs. In the past we had a lot of established songs but this time we are evenly dividing them so that we can showcase the work of performers in the JDAL community and giving them the opportunity to debut their music.”

GOING GREEK

Sharp Edges, written and performed by London-based actor and playwright Sophie Max, is inspired by Sophocles’ play Electra. The one-woman show is the story of Ellie who is on a precipice. Her mum is kicking her out and as prepares for the biggest moment of her life, she will be forced to face the truth about her childhood, her family – and herself, leading her to question the meaning of justice in an increasingly violent world.

“I’ve always felt that the Greek tragedies gave a voice to women,” says Sophie. “I was struck by the way a lot of the female characters were given time in the plays to express their emotions, complex feelings of rage, and inner turmoil. Electra was a character that made a huge impact on me.

“In 2023 I read Anne Carson’s translation of Sophocles play Electra and that inspired me to write Sharp Edges. I wanted to write about a girl growing up in a violent family, in a life of secrets and half-truths, and to examine whether a person can break free from those vicious cycles and take back their life.”

The play explores themes of justice, grief and familial violence through a contemporary and darkly funny lens.

Sophie studied acting at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York before returning to London for a master’s degree in acting and writing at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. This is the first time she has performed in one of her plays. Her family are classical musicians, and she says this has provided her with an understanding of rhythm and lyricism.

Sharp Edges is at Camden People’s Theatre until 14 November