ONE JEWISH BOY
by Stephen Laughton
TRAFALGAR STUDIOS – Mar/Apr 2020
Asha Reid (Alex) and Robert Neumark-Jones (Jesse)
‘Moving and tenderly performed two-hander’ – ★★★★The Stage
‘Intelligent and fearless writing’ – ★★★★★Jewish News
‘Stephen Laughton’s script is fantastic…’ – ★★★★★LGBTQ Arts
‘Provocative, urgent and powerful’ – ★★★★Attitude Magazine
‘Sensitive, imaginative direction’ – ★★★★ Jewish Renaissance News
‘A multi-layered and robust production’ – ★★★★ London Theatre1
‘An absolutely fantastic show, and necessary viewing’ – ★★★★ British Theatre
With anti-Semitism and racism rife in political parties and hate-crime at unprecedented levels, Stephen Laughton explores one young family’s struggle against fear, prejudice and identity.
Following its controversial and successful run at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington, One Jewish Boyis transferring to Trafalgar Studios 2 spring 2020 – a Greenwich Theatre and Scene Change Productions co-production. Directed by Sarah Meadows and starring Asha Reid and Robert Neumark-Jones.
Georgia de Grey – Designer, Jack Weir – Lighting Design
Benedict Taylor – Music, Beth Duke – Sound Design
Critically acclaimed, award-winning writer Stephen Laughton (JB Priestly Award for Writers of Promise 2019 winner, and current Writer in Residence for the Astrophysics Department at the American Museum of Natural History) has written One Jewish Boyas an urgent response to overt anti-Semitism.
A bittersweet tale of inherited trauma, raging anti-Semitism, the end of youth and staying in love…
Jesse is paranoid and he’s frightened and it’s messing up his relationship, his job, his daughter and his life, but Jesse has every reason to be frightened. Anti-Semitism rears its ugly head in a horrific way every 70-or so years, the last time it killed 6 million Jews, the time before that it resulted in their complete expulsion from eastern Europe – and with a 34% rise in violent assaults against Jewish people in the last year alone, Jesse can’t bear to think where we’ll end up this time.
Not with a 9-month-old daughter to protect.
Then there’s Alex. The absolute love of his life, his everything, his greatest love of all. In a visceral biting play that captures key-moments over a ten-year relationship between a nice Jewish boy from North London and the woman he falls desperately in love with, ONE JEWISH BOY is a bittersweet comedy fuelled by anti-Semitism. Focussing squarely on the inheritances that haunt us.
Asking if the fear of hatred, could be worse than hate itself…?
Further Information
Trafalgar Studios: https://trafalgar-studios.com/shows/onejewishboy
ATG Tickets: https://www.atgtickets.com
Greenwich Theatre: https://www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
Contact
Sharon McHendry – SMPublicity [email protected] 07970 178643
Ed Littlewood – Ed Littlewood Productions [email protected] 07956 255 186
Supported by Stage One Bursary Scheme for New Producers
The Observer: “Life imitates art as play about antisemitism faces wave of abuse“. Writer and producer of One Jewish Boy shocked by social media response – Read the full article here: The Observer – 09.12.18
AGE GUIDANCE 14+
Running time: 80mins
Photo credits: Ali Wright Photography and AF Photography