Why I brought heimishe humour to the London stage

And while this month’s performances take place within the safety of the Tsitsit Jewish Fringe Festival, the hope is to tour the production to fringe festivals around the country next year – to a wider audience in towns with few or no Jews living there at all.

Amy Cash in Last Will by Estee Stimler Credit: Gary Manhine[Missing Credit]

Joyfully Jewish has also been about creating a safe space for Jewish creatives. I myself have felt nervous when walking into rehearsals for new productions this past year. (I’d already left Equity due to feeling unsupported as a Jewish member.) Yet even with when working with other Jews, you find very different political perspectives. I therefore started our first rehearsal with a request to keep politics out of the rehearsal room; if Jews can’t feel safe working with other Jews, where can we feel safe?

Em Lawrence, Amy Cash and Sam Ebner-Landy in Last Will and Testament of Sheila Goodwin by Estee Stimler Credit: Gary Manhine[Missing Credit]

Shai Forester and Em Lawrence in The Chosen One by Gary Ogin Credit: Gary Manhine[Missing Credit]

And to those who say you can’t celebrate being Jewish without focusing on our traumas past and present, so intrinsic are they to being Jewish, I give you the lyrics of songwriter Daniel Cainer whose soulful Jewish tune is the theme song of the production.  

“Joyfully Jewish Like Tevye in Fiddler

Put your arms in the air

Drown your despair In the mikveh

There’s trouble at the mill

But for a moment let’s be still

And breathe and feel and be Joyfully Jewish… shall we?”

Joyfully Jewish is presented by Echoes Theatre Company, and has been supported by the Pauline and Harold Berman Charitable Trust and Tsitsit Jewish Fringe Festival. To book tickets, find out more information and support our work, visit www.joyfullyjewish.co.uk