Triple-bill of Jewish plays to debut at London’s Soho Theatre

A triple-bill of Jewish plays are to debut at London’s Soho Theatre this summer.

Emanate Productions will present The Arc: A Trilogy of New Jewish Plays from 15 – 16 August at the venue.

The world premiere will showcase new short plays by three of the UK’s leading Jewish playwrights, exploring life’s great moments of birth, marriage, and death through a distinctly Jewish lens.

The show is produced by the company’s Co-Artistic Directors, 2021 Guildhall Acting graduates Sam Thorpe-Spinks (Sexy Beast, Paramount; Something in the Air, Jermyn Street Theatre) and Dan Wolff (We Were The Lucky Ones, 20th Century/Hulu; Leopoldstadt, Wyndham’s Theatre), and Associate Producer Tanya Truman (Pickle, Soho Theatre, Park Theatre; Fury and Elysium, The Other Palace). Kayla Feldman (Pickle, Soho Theatre, Park Theatre; Right Dishonourable Friend, Vault Festival) will be directing.

BIRTH by Amy Rosenthal (Henna Night; Jerusalem Syndrome; On The Rocks) follows Michael and Linda in the aftermath of their Golden Wedding celebrations, as they are surprised by an uninvited guest. Will Naomi’s visit be the marzipan on the fruitcake, or is she a fruitcake; and has she arrived – once again – at the wrong time?

The role of Michael will be played by Nigel Planer (The Young Ones, BBC;  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Original West End Cast; Wicked, Original West End Cast), and  Linda will be portrayed by Caroline Gruber (Disobedience, Braven Films; Leopoldstadt,  Wyndham’s Theatre; The Narcissist, Chichester Festival Theatre). Also joining the cast as Naomi  will be Dorothea Myer-Bennett (Leopoldstadt, Wyndham’s Theatre; Possession, Arcola Theatre;  Holy Sh*t, Kiln Theatre).

MARRIAGE by Alexis Zegerman (The Fever Syndrome; Holy Sh*t; Portrait Of A Man) sees a Jewish couple during their journey from one date to a million possibilities. Can Adrian and Eva navigate a dating app hook-up whilst also carrying the burden of two thousand years in the wilderness? Or is that just way too much pressure for a first date?

The role  of Adrian will be played by Sam Thorpe-Spinks (A Spy Among Friends, Sony; Sexy Beast,  Paramount +; Something in the Air, Jermyn Street Theatre), and Eva will be portrayed by Abigail  Weinstock (Love and Other Acts of Violence, Donmar Warehouse; Surfacing, Apple TV;  Marengo, Apple TV). Nigel Planer and Dorothea Myer-Bennett round out the cast as Godfrey  and Sara, respectively.

DEATH by Ryan Craig (Charlotte and Theodore; The Holy Rosenbergs; Filthy Business) is a humorous look at how ancient death rites can bring a family together, even after it’s been torn apart by divorce, illness, narcissism and neurosis.

The role of Dan will be portrayed by Adrian  Schiller (The Danish Girl, Pretty Pictures; The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare’s Globe; The  Crucible, Old Vic), and Dan Wolff (We Were The Lucky Ones, Hulu/20th Century Studios;  Leopoldstadt, Wyndham’s Theatre; Habeas Corpus, Menier Chocolate Factory) will play the role  of Adam. Also joining the cast will be Abigail Weinstock as Leah.

Writer Amy Rosenthal said: “I’m excited to work with Emanate again after a great adventure last year. I’m inspired by the enthusiasm and forward-thinking passion with which they’ve approached Jewish theatre practitioners and the creation of new work, and working with them has chimed with my desire to reclaim our contemporary narrative in some way – to write joyful, punchy, unexpected plays that look unflinchingly at the Jewish experience but always through a lens of humour and hope – which I think is how we survive.”

Director Kayla Feldman added: “I’m thrilled to be working with Emanate to bring this trilogy of new Jewish plays to Central London this summer. There are as many different ways to be Jewish as there are Jews in the world, and all of us have myriad stories to tell and ways of telling them. It is a joy and a privilege to be presenting three such stories at Soho Theatre, and at a time of rising antisemitism, a vital injection of Jewish culture into the mainstream.”

For more information and tickets, visit sohotheatre.com