Reviews

Under The Skin: reviews

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Under The Skin tells the story of the love affair between the Nazi officer Anneliese Kohlmann and one of her female Jewish prisoners in Neuengamme concentration camp. The play is based on Kohlmann’s Belsen trial protocol, and also on Holocaust survivors’ testimonies.

The show, written by Israeli playwright Yonatan Calderon, had a successful Israeli production which ran for over two years in the Gay Centre Theatre in Israel. This work-in-progress presentation will be its UK debut.

From the reviews:

Fringe Review –  Strat Mastoris

“The play tells one of the lesser-known stories of the Holocaust. The piece is highly relevant today as it highlights characters from both the Jewish and the Gay Communities and explores themes of loyalty and betrayal in the face of war and destruction.

At the close of the Second World War, Europe was awash with people who’d lost everything. Their country. Their home. Their family. Everything but their life. The victorious Allied armies set up camps to provide aid and shelter, and the people themselves were classified as – Displaced Persons.

Displacement is a central device in ‘Under The Skin’, in several senses of the word. Just three actors portray a number of characters in Yonatan Calderon’s play – seven in all, constantly moving between identities – and the action constantly jumps back and forth between two wars, almost fifty years apart. We could very easily have lost our bearings, but Ariella Eshed’s confident direction kept the narrative coherent – creating links across the decades like a well-choreographed ballet”

For the full review: http://fringereview.co.uk/review/brighton-fringe/2018/under-the-skin-2/

 

The Jewish Renaissance – Judi Herman – 4 stars

“…a production of great theatrical beauty; From the moment the performers intertwine … Eshed and her cast share their vision with the audience and establish a style of physical theatre that literally fleshes out the themes of interdependence and control, the conflict of power and affection… ”

For the full review: http://www.jewishrenaissance.org.uk/blog/review-theatre-under-the-skin/

 

Jew You Love Me? Reviews

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How do you write an original musical about the most common subject matter – love?

The JEWish Cabaret is giving you the real story of our lives; Complex. Messy. Imperfect. Sexual. Vulnerable. Beautiful. There will be no cliché boy-meets-girl fairy tale here. “Jew you love me?” Is an original musical about love, sexuality and self discovery. It tells the story of all of us through Gabi, a “straight” Jewish girl who ends up finding love in an unexpected partner, Ethan and Alon – a gay couple struggling with the concept of monogamy and hetero- normative love, and Bracha – a religious woman who’s too afraid to explore her sexuality. Join us for an evening full of love. Come get some, there’s enough for everyone.

From the reviews

LONDON PUB THEATRES (Sepy Baghaei) “a little musical with a big heart”  4 stars

“It is clear that Djemal and Shamai understand the ingredients of a successful musical. There is tension in each of the three major threads, broken up by a number of strong comedic interludes’.
Building on the music, there was an overall sense of joy, celebration and positivity throughout which was lovely to see.
Overall, The Jewish Cabaret have pulled off something quite special. Jew You Love Me? simultaneously delves into what it can mean to look for love as a member of the British-Jewish community, while presenting narratives that can also be related to by audience members of non-Jewish backgrounds.”
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The full review: http://pubtheatres1.tumblr.com/post/176450530692/jew-you-love-me-lion-and-unicorn-theatre-nw5/

 

breaking-the-fourth-wall.com (Michael Davis)

“Jew You Love Me? has the distinction of not only being a British musical, it focuses on the seldom explored subject of being Jewish in the UK – as part of society as a whole and within their own community. Set within Golders Green in north London, the fictitious nexus of this neighbourhood is a café called ‘Desire’.”
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The full review: https://breaking-the-fourth-wall.com/2018/07/29/jew-you-love-me-lion-and-unicorn-theatre-review/

 

www.londontheatre1.com (Chris Omaweng) 4 stars

“Religious traditions are brought into question in Jew You Love Me?, a musical that ultimately sends out a message that … Love expresses itself in many different ways, and various forms of sexual orientations and consented relationships all have their place in the modern world, and should be celebrated.
Because of the convincing plotlines, the show overall leaves its audiences with a mixture of feelings. This is not a straightforward comedy. It is more of a multi-layered tale of lust, love and loss… there is still much to be taken away from a compelling and accessible production that refreshingly departs from ‘A meets B and they live happily ever after in perpetual bliss’.”
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The full review: https://www.londontheatre1.com/reviews/jew-you-love-me-at-the-lion-and-unicorn-theatre-review/

 

Life in the cheap seats – Webcowgirl’s London Theatre Reviews

“And LOOK, here I was in London in 2018, and the community that I am not a part of but which lives side by side with me is doing their own theater, theater that represents THEM, and I am having this opportunity to get to learn about another culture and other values and, look at Bracha, the same conflicts and heartaches that have been going on for centuries when you want to fit in, you want to do right, but you just can’t seem to live up to what is expected of you.”
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The full review: https://webcowgirl.wordpress.com/2018/07/29/review-jew-you-love-me-jewish-cabaret-theatre-at-the-lion-and-unicorn