By Cailee Davis
‘The following post is not a pronouncement on the situation in Israel and Palestine and was scheduled prior to the start of these events. We would note that the author of the musical, Uri Agnon, has expressed solidarity with Palestinians and called for a ceasefire across various social media platforms.’
This October, the Camden People’s Theatre—a spirited arthouse which prides itself on supporting up-and-coming generations of creators—recently debuted Antisemitism: A (((Musical))), written and composed by Uri Agnon, who is himself an Israeli Jew. The musical was completed as part of Agnon’s doctoral degree at the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/Non-Jewish Relations at the University of Southampton and adds to his already impressive list of creative works, among which is an opera.
A fast-paced satire engaging with explosive socio-political topics, Antisemitism follows a young, Israeli Jew on an odyssey through his first twenty-four hours in Britain as he encounters “safe” antisemitism—the kind that’s all bite and no bomb. The show follows the ‘unsuspecting hero’ as he encounters a variety of colourful characters—all of whom display some level of antisemitism, including his Jewish aunts in Finchley who continuously pity the poor Israeli—culminating in the protagonist’s kidnapping (a couple of drunks mistake him for Uri Geller and fancy themselves a ransom).
Despite a myriad of upbeat musical numbers—including shoutouts to fan favourites like Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof—, exceptional and consistent comedic timing, and a loving nod to physical comedy, the show doesn’t resist the difficult stuff. There is an extended interrogating scene during the kidnapping which calls into question Israel’s dark history with Palestine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Perhaps most jarring is the oscillation between the characters constantly reminding the audience that this was a fictional tale about fictional characters and the consistent interruptions of real antisemitic tweets and news clips throughout the show, including a voice clip of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill dallying on with some casual antisemitism. (There is a strange metaphor for the ills of social media wherein an interrogation algorithm tells the kidnappers which body part they must remove as proof of their fortitude.) The show also resists providing answers to the numerous questions it raises—namely, what is Jewishness and/or Jewish identity?
A post-show Q&A with the writer/composer, producer, director, and main actor, Maya Kristal Tenenbaum, revealed the very purposeful “Talmudic” layering of references and jokes. Agnon was insistent that audience members of all experiences and knowledge-bases could enjoy the show—a single punchline could poke fun at Jewishness, Britishness, and/or musical theatre, all at once. A love letter to the troubles of Jewishness and a long and proud history of Jewish musical theatre, Antisemitism delivers time and again and keeps audiences laughing til the very end. Antisemitism is complex, nuanced, and genre-bending. A vaudevillian take on one of the world’s oldest struggles, the show guarantees that the audience will walk away with more questions than they came with, and perhaps, be better for it.
doinghistoryinpublic.org 