Bad Jews – Life lessons cloaked in comedy
It’s often said if you get two Jews in one room, you’ll get at least 20 opinions. This is not the case for the new play Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon.
There are only two arguments, both dogmatic and both sadly unable to meet in the middle, writes Debbie Ferrer.
The 90-minute work is set in real time in a claustrophobic studio flat, the night after the funeral of a beloved grandfather.
The man was a Holocaust survivor whose struggles have scarred his three grandchildren, Daphna, Liam and Jonah, in very different ways.
Firstly, there is the good-hearted but difficult Daphna (Jenna Augen), who believes passionately in preserving her Jewish faith at any cost and pours relentless scorn on her cousin, Liam. Liam (Ilan Goodman), arrogant but fiercely protective of his family, arrives on the scene having missed the grandfather’s funeral.
He has returned from a ski trip in Aspen with his non-Jewish girlfriend – nice but totally out of her depth – called Melody (Gina Bramhill), who has a large tattoo of a treble clef on clear display on her left ankle. Liam and Daphna are both intellectually aggressive in their extreme stances, both refusing to take into account each other’s respective viewpoints.
Liam condemns Daphna for what he perceives her to be superficial and phoney ‘Jewish’ righteousness, while Daphna can only see Liam’s self-loathing for his faith. Powerful comedic monologues with razor sharp humour highlight these two opposing viewpoints, and allow the audience to consider the dangers of tribalism and the complexities of living in a multicultural society.
It is left to Liam’s brother, the quiet Jonah (Joe Coen), the silent observer of this battlefield to bring some final calmness, real emotion and self-reflection to the play. Although he never states his viewpoint or picks a side, he is the one who has been subtly carrying his identity and religion in the most meaningful and personal way.
Bad Jews is a powerful play, with solid performance from all four leads. It raises relevant questions about the dangers of extreme dogma in any form – which, in light of national and international events, is a lesson we’d all do well to heed. • Bad Jews is on until 28 February at St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, SW1E 5JA.For more details, visit www.stjamestheatre.co.uk
Bad Jews: ‘A powerful play with relevant questions on dogma and solid performances from all four leads’
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
