29-05-2025
Why this is a golden age for Jewish theatre
My Jewish mother does not go to the theatre often. But when she does, she sees Fiddler on the Roof. She has seen it so many times she could understudy any character at a moment's notice. In fairness she did attend a Pinter play once, but walked out at the first infamous Pinter Pause thinking it was the interval.
Naturally she was ecstatic when the Open Air Regent's Park theatre revived Fiddler last year, even more so when a transfer to the Barbican (which has just opened) was announced. Garlanded with 13 nods at this year's Olivier awards, Jordan Fein's production matched the record set by Hamilton for the most nominations for a single show. Not bad for what Philip Roth once derided as 'shtetl kitsch.'
In fact, Fiddler is not the only Jewish show to have become a critical hit in the past year. Principal among these was Mark Rosenblatt's Giant at the Royal Court, a fire-breathing study of Roald Dahl's virulent anti-Semitism; then there was Patrick Marber's production of What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Nick Cassenbaum's After the Levoyah and the Marber-directed Nachtland.
The popularity of Jewish-orientated shows seems incongruous when juxtaposed with skyrocketing anti-Semitism post October 7th. 2024 saw the second-highest recording of reported anti-Semitic incidents in a single calendar year according to the Community Security Trust, a charity which represents the UK's Jewish population.
'There have been countless examples of problems in the creative industries with soft boycotts and discrimination to anything with links to Israel' says literary agent and producer Neil Blair.
'I'm sure that Jewish writers have been scared to express their Jewishness as they fear they won't get published. It's been a tough time to be a proud Jew.'
London theatre has seen numerous high-profile incidents of anti-Semitic controversies. Ken Loach 's 1987 production of Perdition was pulled from public performances at the Royal Court before the first preview. Historians declared Jim Allen's play historically unsound and deeply anti-Semitic. In 2011 Caryl Churchill's Seven Jewish Children also premiered to a chorus of opprobrium from across the British-Jewish community, once again at the Court. A recent new production produced by actor Brian Cox revived the contentious debate over the extent to which it straddles the murky line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.
'And look what happened with Rare Earth Mettle' says Blair. Once again attached to the Court, Al Smith's 2021 play sparked outcry over 'Hershel Fink' an Elon Musk-inspired character with an unmistakably Jewish name seemingly imbued with anti-Semitic traits, even though the character was not written to be Jewish. The original name surfaced in preview performances before it was changed. The production still went ahead.
'It's astonishing that the theatre had initially claimed that they didn't realise Fink is a Jewish name,' says Blair. A consequent internal report found that despite the fact that the name had been twice flagged as potentially offensive in the play's development and rehearsal period the creative team kept the name. The theatre would go on to apologise 'unreservedly.'
Jewish creatives have played a significant role in theatre since the early 20th century. Immigrants from Russia and Eastern Europe laid the artistic foundation stones of Broadway and the Jewish influence could be seen not only in explicitly Jewish shows like Fiddler, but also in productions which mirror the dynamics of the Jewish diaspora. Stories of overcoming the odds and forging a new home in America parallel the immigrant struggles of artists such as George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.
Neither has there been a shortage of Jewish voices in the West End. Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard are arguably the two most influential dramatists of the 20 th century, then there are directors such as Peter Brook and Jonathan Miller, and even critics, Milton Shulman and Bernard Levin, the so-called kosher butchers.
But it would be rare to see Jewish artistic self-expression in mainstream spaces that paralleled Broadway. The theatrical tradition in London was already richly established, with its own inheritance, traditions, and artistic canon. Jewish dramatists, usually second-generation immigrants, had to assimilate their storytelling, allowing it to lurk only beneath the surface. This was certainly the case with Harold Pinter.
While the linguistic rhythms of Pinter's early work mirror the broken English of Eastern European immigrants, it's detectable on a narrative level too. Pinter drew from his childhood in Hackney for The Homecoming. Ruth can be easily interpreted as a non-Jewish woman marrying into a Jewish household overseen by a paranoid patriarch. Pinter took inspiration from a childhood friend who 'married out' – a transgressive violation considered to be a personal and cultural betrayal. Initial drafts set the action in the East End and referred to an unseen character named 'Berkowitz,' eventually exorcised from the final draft.
Recent success at the Oliviers signals a paradigm shift in Jewish on-stage representation as dramatists openly interrogate the idiosyncrasies of contemporary Jewishness on mainstream stages. Rising anti-Semitism, war in Israel, consequent tension within the community are fertile dramatic soil ripe for theatrical exploration. Audiences, both Jewish and non-Jewish, are listening.
'Intelligent pieces of theatre are striking a chord because audiences want nuanced debate' says Tracy-Ann Oberman whose reworked version of The Merchant of Venice relocated the action to London's East End in 1936 under the looming shadow of Mosley's black shirts. After an initial run at the Watford Palace Theatre it embarked on a national tour as well as two West End runs.
'It's been on a journey for two and half years; the positive responses and interest from audiences across the country has warmed my heart,' she says.
Oberman admits that its commercial success was unexpected, especially when compared with traditionally lucrative hits such as Fiddler on the Roof. Like Giant it was conceived before October 7 th but came to take on a new meaning in light of growing anti-Semitism.
'The Merchant of Venice showed what anti-Semitism looked like in 1936, that came to resonate with the rise of anti-Jewish racism today, especially how a lot of the vernacular about anti-Zionism bleeds into anti-Semitism' says Oberman. 'People understand that nothing is as black and white as some would have us believe. Art is the best way to show that.'
Since the Hershel Fink debacle at the Royal Court, Oberman is adamant there has been significant progress around boosting awareness of Jewish culture. Questions over authentic casting and cultural appropriation are more prominent to the extent that the costume designer of the new production of Oliver! rang Oberman to run by ideas for Fagin's costume to ensure respect of cultural sensitives.
'The fact that he was willing to make that call with me was a huge step forward. If this is a Golden Age, then it's one of renewed understanding and consideration towards Jewish culture,' she says. As a consequence, Oberman has noticed more writers and artists wearing their Jewishness proudly on their sleeve. Perhaps other creative industries could take a leaf out of theatre's book.
The ultimate test for this golden age is if Giant transfers to New York - not outside the realm of impossibility after its Olivier success. It is currently playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre – my mother has bought a ticket at my behest.
