A Review by CCJ Operations Manager Lazzaro Pietragnoli of the show currently playing at the Royal Court Theatre 
 

Director Vicky Featherstone had the idea to give Jews the opportunity to bring on stage occurrences of disguised antisemitism: with the help of Guardian journalist Jonathan Freedland, she created a play which shows the unconsciously held prejudices against Jewish people still affecting British society today.

For almost two hours, seven actors bring to the stage the daily experiences of twelve Jewish people, some known to the public like Labour politician Margaret Hodge and writer Howard Jacobson, and some more private individuals, like paediatrician Tammy Rothenberg and decorator Philip Abrahams.
Their stories are told verbatim from the interviews they did with Freedland, and emphasised by the empty dark stage, only populated by some chairs, and rotating screens reproducing some of the articles, tweets, and murals mentioned by the actors.

The result is a compelling and harrowing tale of prejudice and hatred, with episodes that may appear sometimes incredible, like the inaction of the Labour Party when MP Luciana Berger reported misogyny and antisemitism on social media. Other episodes are dispiriting, like the local newsagent telling Jacobson that Jews are spreading Coronavirus through Coca Cola; and many stories are just sad: social worker Victoria Hart saying she needs a “portable career” in case she must be forced to leave, while Margaret Hodge’s parents always had a packed suitcase next to the door, to be ready to flee to safety.

The sadness is not just in the stories of blatant racism endured but also in the casual way long standing prejudices rehash: actress Tracy Ann Oberman being told by a director that she “does not look like a Jew”.

Organised around three main topics of traditional anti-Jewish prejudice (blood, money and power) and alternating the direct quotes from the interviews with some historical sketches revealing the ancient origin of antisemitic prejudice, this production is an important instance of theatre that informs and educates, giving voice to a minority group who feel their identity is under threat, due to the continuous revival of Jewish tropes and mythologies.

For me it was an occasion to reflect on antisemitic bias and stereotypes that we all may encounter and to share the hurtful experience of racism and prejudice that Jewish people still suffer in Britain today.