Klezmer, comedy, gay Palestinians in Gaza and a once-banned musical

This Sunday 22 March there’s the chance to hear Anna Lowenstein, one of the UK’s leading klezmer players, whose work draws inspiration from Eastern European Jewish folk melodies and re-imagines them through the rich possibilities of a string quartet.

Anna’s performance of Through the Walls is at The Old Church Stoke Newington and features a collection of original compositions.

Anna will be performing with Flora Curzon (violin), Meg Hamilton (viola) and Francesca Ter-Berg (cello) to recreate the ‘sound world’ of her childhood, where Beethoven, Bartók and Shostakovich sat alongside Yiddish song. The evening promises a repertoire of vibrant, expressive performance played with verve and generosity.

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Interweaving storytelling, ethnographic interviews and field recordings from Stamford Hill, Through the Walls builds an immersive portrait of place and community, alive with voices, memories and character. At once rooted in tradition and boldly forward-looking, the work offers a powerful reminder of music’s ability to carry us across time, memory and imagination.

Through The Walls is on 22 March at The Old Church Stoke Newington. theoldchurch.org.uk

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GAY IN GAZA

The little-known plight of gay Palestinians who seek refuge in Israel is the plotline for Sharif – a play that makes its debut at JW3’s Howard Hall on Monday.

It was while Israeli playwright Tomer Aldubi – a queer Israeli journalist, playwright, and theatre director – was working as a freelance journalist that he uncovered the story behind the play. Tomer had written hundreds of articles and interviews on numerous LGBTQ+ issues, and when he heard about the gay people terrorised in Gaza, and how the Israel Defence Force helped bring them to safety in Israel, he knew there was a play that needed to be written.

Sharif, the play’s protagonist, is a queer Palestinian man who is forced to flee the West Bank when it is revealed he is gay. Seeking refuge in Israel – a place that represents both refuge and threat – he must navigate an unforgiving system while trying to hold onto his identity and truth. The play is inspired by real testimonies, with memory and present-day storytelling exploring the themes of resilience and belonging.

Told through a series of interwoven flashbacks and present-day scenes, the play brings to life Sharif’s struggle for survival, his longing for love, and the quiet courage it takes to endure in the face of constant danger.

The 80-minute long performance is produced by Dirty Laundry Theatre and shines a rare light on the lives of LGBTQ+ Palestinians living under occupation.

Sharif is at JW3 on 23 March jw3.org.uk

COMEDY

Following gigs in the USA, London-based comedian Debra Tammer has hot- footed it back to the UK in time to present her show C&MP Comedy Variety Night at the Circle and Star Theatre in Hampstead next Thursday.

Headlining will be the hugely popular Hal Cruttenden, a familiar face to comedy fans and a regular on Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You, Mock the Week, Would I Lie To You and Bake-off An Extra Slice. Also appearing is Hannah Byczkowski, winner of BBC One’s The Traitors and co-host of hit podcast Ghost Huns. The line-up, hosted by Debra, will also include Canadian born, London- based comic Michelle Shaughnessy, award-winning Dru Cripps, Brighton-based comedian Christian Jegard and musical comic Alex Prescot.

This is one of several comedy nights Debra will be hosting at the Circle and Star – London’s newest fringe theatre, owned by Jewish theatre creative Steve Furst. Debra is one of a group of Jewish comediennes who are putting on comedy nights where Jewish audiences can relax, safe in the knowledge there will not be any hostile or inflammatory comedy sets.

C&MP Comedy Variety Night is on 26 March at Circle and Star Theatre. circleandstar.com

USEFUL IDIOTS

When Israeli theatre creative Roi Dolev was cancelled by the Phoenix Arts Club back in July, Roi was determined that the show, and in particular his show, would go on. His musical, Useful Idiots, with both the music and the book written by him, is being performed in London next week.

“I moved to London following October 7,” said Roi, “and found out that, as a queer Jew, I was unwelcome in many queer spaces. That was a very jarring experience, which ended up inspiring Useful Idiots. I wanted to write about the experience of being in your late 20s (I’m 29), and being ostracised by your own community – a community that champions inclusion and acceptance – over nothing more than your ethnicity.”

Useful Idiots, which is billed as a comedy, is set in the future with the premise that the destruction of Israel has taken place, there are no longer any Jewish people alive, and a flotilla of gay activists set sail to heal the Middle East in the only way they know how, namely by throwing a pride parade. As one can imagine, the activists find events do not quite pan out as they expect and both they, and the audience, are in for some surprises.

“The question at the heart of the show is,” explains Roi, “The Jews have gone, now what?”

Following the problems he initially encountered with staging his musical, and for security reasons, the show is being staged to an invited audience. For further for details visit usefulidiotsmusical.com.