Splendid piece of in-your-face Jewish theatre

PETER FELDMAN

The reason it’s such a revelation is because Joshua Harmon’s meticulously constructed work cleverly exposes the complexities of being Jewish. What is also apparent in the context of the play is the manner in which a modern playwright approaches the legacy of the Holocaust.

While most dramatists may show a degree of reverence and respect, Harmon tackles the subject with irreverence, using cutting wit as a telling device.   

The play centres on four sharply defined characters: Jonah (Oli Booth), a placid and inarticulate individual; his rude and dominating elder brother, Liam (Glen Biderman-Pam); a religious cousin Daphna (Lara Lipschitz); and a sweet, non-Jewish girlfriend Melody (Ashley Carine de Lange).

They have come together in a cramped New York studio apartment after the funeral of their grandfather, Poppy. From the beginning, the devotedly Jewish, self-opinionated, motor-mouth Daphna makes it clear that she wants the gold “Chai” which her beloved grandfather had with him during his incarceration in Hitler’s concentration camp. 

This medallion, bearing the Hebrew word for “life”, symbolised his boyhood suffering and survival against overwhelming odds.

Liam, her obstinate secular cousin, however, harbours other ideas. Sitting in the middle is Jonah who states emphatically that he doesn’t want to be involved in the war of words which is about to be unleashed. Liam is completely detached from his cultural traditions and intends marrying Melody, his non-Jewish girlfriend who has unwittingly been plunged headlong into a family feud.

Volatile emotions erupt and family secrets are revealed as a lava of words engulf everybody, venom spewing from Daphna’s mouth and unleashing her true feelings. It’s a penetrating and absorbing slice of theatre where the constant wrangling is stoked by incendiary questions about Jewish faith, identity and the Holocaust.

All three of these characters clearly idolised Poppy, who served as a major role model, but their actions manifest in different ways and are based on their attitudes to their Jewish background.

The South African cast, airing their American accents, emerges as a pretty tight unit and under the deft direction of Greg Karvellas, the play is beautifully nuanced and paced. Each of the actors manages to command the stage, inhabiting their characters with depth and understanding.

The renowned Saul Radomsky has conceived an impressive set and the lighting design by Daniel Galloway and Benjamin du Plessis, capture the mood.

Although “Bad Jews” is a thought-provoking, in-your-face experience that will generate debate and focus on what it means to be Jewish, it deals with universal themes of family values and traditions and can be enjoyed by all.