The wonderful Operation Mincemeat, now playing at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend, probably never should have made the big stage at all.

A historical musical spy comedy set during World War II, with an ensemble cast who frequently swap roles and genders, it started life in an 80-seater studio not long before the pandemic hit and its plans were interrupted.

However, post-lockdowns and carried by word of mouth, momentum soon built, with awards and glowing reviews following not far behind – leading to it becoming a huge West End and Broadway hit.

Now touring theatres around the UK, and indeed the world, it opened right here in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Future stops will include Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and cities in China and Australia, as well as Norwich and Crawley a little closer to home.

While not the original cast, four of the five principal performers – Christian Andrews, Seán Carey, Charlotte Hanna-Williams and Holly Sumpton – reprise roles from the West End production, joined by new recruit Jamie-Rose Monk.

All are superb, mixing high comedy with thrilling spy escapes – while bringing a sweetness that makes you really care about their characters and the mission’s success.

That mission was the extraordinary true story of a 1943 British deception operation, in which a dead man was given a false identity and planted off the coast of Spain carrying fake military documents. The elaborate ruse helped convince Hitler that the Allies intended to invade Greece rather than Sicily, drawing German forces away from the real target.

The show is also a tribute to the hugely important role of our intelligence services, who often operate with no public thanks or glory until decades later.

One key reason to see the production, other than its great entertainment value, is therefore keeping this history alive for future generations!

Back to the stage and two things that stand out are the clever choreography, with genuine ‘how did they do that’ moments, and a set design that does a wonderful job of transporting you back to the era.

The five performers, swapping between multiple parts, mix song, farce and intrigue, with the tunes moving the story along and the fast pace rarely letting up.

Some of the songs went on a little too long and they aren’t the type you’re still singing the next day, while a few of the gags missed the mark.

But overall this is a show that is funny, thrilling and full of things to learn, culminating in a happy ending and a lovely tribute (I won’t say any more so as not to spoil).

Judging by the standing ovation in Southend, it is clear that Operation Mincemeat has lost none of its ability to win over an audience as it heads on tour.

Find out more and purchase tickets here.

The post Theatre review – Operation Mincemeat appeared first on Essex Jewish News.

A true joy of being the Editor of the Essex Jewish News is travelling around our glorious county discovering its hidden gems.

One of those is undoubtedly the Palace Theatre in Southend where stepping through the doors is like stepping back in time.

A Grade II listed Edwardian building, first opened in 1912, it’s a truly beautiful venue with original features preserved – giving you the same layout, atmosphere and experience those watching plays there 100 years ago would have enjoyed.

Of course, any theatre is only as good as the shows it puts on – which is why I’m pleased to report that Dial M for Murder, which is playing all this week, truly is a classic thriller fit for a Palace.

Brought back to the stage for 2026 by Phil&Ben Productions, in association with PW Productions, it is showing in Southend until Sunday (16 August) before heading off to Harrogate, Blackpool, Coventry and Peterborough. It previously toured Eastbourne, Crewe, Fareham and Swindon.

For a Frederick Knott play that first premiered in 1952 – made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film version – it may seem strange of me not to want to give any spoilers, but with every twist and turn being so impactful, I’m keen not to ruin any of them.

The story, as fans of the film will remember, begins with English former tennis professional Tony Wendice plotting to kill his wealthy wife Margot after finding out she’d been cheating on him with Mark Halliday, an American crime-fiction writer.

Blackmailing an old classmate turned con man, Charles Swann, into doing the deed for him – Tony feels he has the perfect murder planned as he explains to Charles, and therefore us, in great detail.

Things, as you can imagine, don’t go as expected, leaving Charles to come up with a second dastardly plan. But is his web of lies and latch keys enough to fool Inspector Hubbard and get him the inheritance he wants?

The direction from Josh Mathieson is one of the best I’ve seen in a small theatre, adding moments of dramatic pause to the gripping script to really allow you to take everything in and wonder what happens next.

You, of course, hate the dastardly Tony (played masterfully by Pete Ashmore), but there’s a moment where Margot (Tanya-Loretta Dee) chooses to walk with Max (Simon Pothecary) instead of Tony that really makes you wonder where your sympathies lie – a credit to the acting and directing.

Phil Stewart may be having the most fun as the slightly hapless Charles Swann, while you never know how much Katy Dean’s Inspector Hubbard really knows – keeping you guessing until the end.

Dial M for Murder is a whodunnit where you know who did it, how they did it and why they did it… yet it remains gripping throughout.

There were a mix of ages in the theatre, including my own teenage children, and all were hanging on every word.

Listening to conversations afterwards, the audience was a combination of those who know and love the film – like us – those who have seen it but forgotten the twists and turns, and those coming to the material for the first time. All enjoyed it equally.

Not only was this a five-star show, right here on our doorsteps, but it is also part of an important effort to strengthen the future of touring drama in towns and smaller cities across the UK.

As Phil and Ben said: “We believe audiences in towns and smaller cities like Southend deserve regular access to outstanding live drama, and that the appetite for it remains strong.

“This is an exciting production in its own right, but it also stands for something larger: a commitment to restoring confidence in mid-scale touring theatre and building lasting partnerships with venues and audiences.”

So if you’re looking for a great night out at a very reasonable price, just Dial M and get to the Palace.

Find out more and purchase tickets here.

The post Theatre review – Dial M for Murder appeared first on Essex Jewish News.

Fancy a fantastic night out with top-quality shows right on your doorstep?

Then take a look at Southend Theatres. Between the 1,600-seat Cliffs Pavilion and the Edwardian splendour of the Palace Theatre, there’s an outstanding programme of entertainment for you to enjoy here in Essex. Below, we pick out five upcoming highlights to suit all ages and tastes:

1. Operation Mincemeat (31 Aug – 5 Sep at the Cliffs Pavilion) is the 2024 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical. It’s London’s biggest hit with 113 five star reviews, making it the best-reviewed show in West End history.

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. Not to be missed.

2. The Choir of Man (15 – 19 Sep at the Cliffs Pavilion) is another Olivier Award nominated show coming to Southend direct from the West End.

Brimming with hits from artists such as Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry to name but a few, this is like being in the best pub in the world.

3. Dial M for Murder (12 – 16 Aug Aug at the Palace) takes you back to London, 1952. Former tennis professional Tony Wendice and his wealthy wife Margot appear to have it all. But everything is not as it seems. Tony believes he has orchestrated the perfect murder of Margot, but when the plan goes wrong it leads to a gripping web of lies, betrayal and lethal twists.

Don’t miss this masterclass in suspense that inspired the cinematic masterpiece. Dial M for Murder is a tour de force of psychological tension.

4. Dog Man: The Musical  (18 – 20 Aug at the Palace) is a hilarious new musical based on the worldwide bestselling book series from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club.

Dog Man is the crime-biting sensation who is part dog, part man and ALL HERO! But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings? A hugely entertaining show for children and adults alike. 

5. Wilko: Love and Death and Rock’n’Roll (12 – 17 Oct at the Palace) celebrates the life and music of Wilko Johnson.

In 2012, Wilko, the iconic rock star and founder of legendary Essex band Dr Feelgood, was told he had inoperable cancer and a year to live. Refusing all treatment, he decided to spend his last months living meaningfully: seeing the people, places and things which meant most to him during his remarkable life. Then, a miracle happened…

• Tickets for all these shows are on sale now from www.southendtheatres.org.uk or by calling 0343 310 0030.

The post From West End to Southend – the hit shows coming to Essex appeared first on Essex Jewish News.

It’s not often you get to attend the world premiere of a new theatre production right here in Essex.

Especially when that show is the eagerly awaited first musical from Mischief… the creators of hilarious hit West End comedy The Play That Goes Wrong.

But so it was that my teenage children and I sat in Mercury Theatre to watch the very first performance of Thespians: Greece The Musical (But Not That One).

I’ve reviewed many shows, films and concerts over three decades, but there’s nothing quite like putting your pen down and seeing how the kids enjoy it.

And enjoy it they did… eyes transfixed to the stage, laughing throughout and pointing out any references, puns and theatre or historical in-jokes that I had missed.

To try to explain the plot of a Mischief production would be pointless, but the basics are we follow a team of five friends in Ancient Greece – loosely based on characters from history and mythology – who have to move from their tiny island of Ikaria to Athens, enter a prayer competition to try and stop a dreadful drought, and end up inventing theatre as we know it today.

A mix of musical, slapstick and pantomime, we get tales of friendship, family, lost love, found love, betrayal, redemption, a baddie you will love to hate and heroes you want to see rewarded.

Written by Mischief’s Jonathan Sayer and Ed Zanders, the gags and comic moments come thick and fast as you’d expect.

The songs are catchy, and the lyrics silly. It can take a short while to get to grips with the world it is set in, but once you do you’ll fall in love.

The cast – Allie Dart as Rhapsodes, Claire-Marie Hall as Poly, James Spence as Thespis, Luke Latchman as Atlas, Marc Pickering as Adonis, Matt Cavendish as Bard, Mia Jerome as Melampus and Rhys Taylor as The Tyrant, with an ensemble of Ashley Tucker, Josh Patel-Foster and Curtis Patrick – are simply fantastic.

They blend over-the-top antics and camp villainy with genuine emotional warmth that makes you want to see what happens next – all delivered with an energy that never seems to end. You get the impression watching that they are having as much fun as we are!

Add in the superb choreography from Melody Sinclair-Marsh, stage design from Jasmine Swan and direction from Robyn Grant, and everything comes together perfectly.

Ultimately the show is a love letter to theatre, giving a (historically inaccurate but hilariously funny) account of its origins and the story of Thespis, the world’s first actor.

There are nods to so many other productions and pop culture favourites – Wicked, Chicago and Notting Hill among them – that you can see just how much the writers love their craft.

Another important point is that Thespians – playing in local theatres around the country – is affordable. It gives West End/Broadway quality without the prices you’d usually associate with that.

It’s a fun family night out – as I found – but would be equally enjoyable for individuals, couples or adult groups.

Give it a try… you can’t go wrong!

• Thespians plays at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester until 23 May, before touring to Bath, Swindon, Guildford, Cheltenham, Cardiff and Manchester. Find out more and purchase tickets here.

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MODEL, actor and author Ellie Goldstein has swapped catwalks for kitchens to take part in this year’s Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer.

Host Paul Hollywood is joined by Caroline Waldegrave OBE – the former co-owner and managing director of Leiths School of Food and Wine – to judge the best baking efforts in these special celebrity episodes.

Bake Off hosts Alison and Noel will also return to provide encouragement, tea and sympathy for the celebrity bakers going head-to-head tent.

Stand up to Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
The show, which has started airing when we went to press, saw a star-studded line up of 20 celebrities – including best-selling author, podcaster and businesswoman Sarah Beeny, comedian Adam Buxton and broadcaster Roman Kemp – go head-to-head in the hopes of being crowned Star Baker.

In each episode, four celebrities were challenged to create their best bakes in the signature, technical and showstopper rounds.

Ellie competed alongside Gloria Hunniford OBE, actor and writer Jim Howick and comedian Jamali Maddix in her episode which will go out on Sunday 13 April – and then go on the Channel 4 app for all those who want to watch after Pesach.

Loughton-based Ellie, 23, was born with Down’s syndrome, but it hasn’t stopped her from becoming a global fashion model, performer, author and influencer.

As a model, she made history as being the first model with Down’s syndrome to feature on the cover of British Vogue magazine, and she continues to use her platform to act as a champion for other people with differences or disabilities.

She will back on our screens again later this year in her first acting role as the history obsessed student, Nancy, in the new series of the BBC’s Malory Towers.

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Fresh from an award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this two-hander sees twins, Dan (Dylan Corbett-Bader) and Lauren (Gemma Barnett) meeting with ex-gangster Malcolm Spivak, an 80-year-old gangster at their grandfather’s funeral. Malcolm has ‘had enough’ and enlists the help of the siblings with a plan that’s absolutely meshugge – to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn. Yes, really!

The play was previously premiered work at the theatre’s NOW Festival in 2019 and The Yard’s Artistic Director Jay Miller is pleased to see its return.

“Nick started his journey here, and now returns with exactly the kind of bold, provocative theatre this building has always championed. Work that knows how to entertain while it challenges, to play while it provokes. It’s a celebration of everything The Yard stands for.”

Nick uses storytelling, humour and satire in Revenge: After the Levoyah to look at some of the big topics around what it means what it means to be Jewish in the UK today, like antisemitism, collective hysteria and how far you can through a jar of chraine from a moving vehicle!

His work has toured internationally, selling out in venues around the world. He has written plays, created and performed solo work, and made street performances in collaboration with some of the country’s most celebrated venues, including The Royal Court, Soho Theatre, and Battersea Arts Centre. He has an MA from Goldsmiths in Writing for Performance and is a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme. He is a co-artistic director of take stock exchange. For the past two years, he has also written the JW3 Panto.

For Nick, he considers this play to be ‘a love letter to Jewish Essex’.

“Growing up in Woodford around East London and Essex Jews, I have always been in love with the rhythms and the way people speak. I’m delighted to have this show playing at The Yard as it’s easy for people from Essex to get to and the parking isn’t bad!”He goes on to add: “This piece is full of things that if you come from that part of the world, you will understand plenty of jokes just for you!”

Revenge: After the Levoyah runs from 9^th – 25^th January at the Yard Theatre. To book tickets, visit The Yard Theatre website

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A new exhibition celebrating the life and work of Stanislaw Brunstein (1914-1994) has opened at Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue – the community where the renowned Warsaw-born Jewish artist made his home after surviving the Holocaust.

Free and open to all (with booking required for security purposes), it runs until 8 December 2024. Click here to arrange your visit.

For a long time after the Shoah – in which he lost his entire family – Stanislaw did not paint. He only resumed his passion in 1962, creating memories of pre-war Polish Jewish life. He said at the time: “I told myself if I could paint and recreate this society, it would be a way of making certain that no one would forget.”

Stanislaw’s first major exhibition took place at Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue nearly 60 years ago – so it is fitting that his paintings have now returned.

His daughter Denise said: “It is with great pride, pleasure and nostalgia to once more have my father’s paintings shown in our synagogue. To say this exhibition is timely is an understatement. In this difficult and ever-challenging world of rising anti-Jewish hatred, somehow the images of Jewish characters, albeit painted ones, hiding away in our loft, become an irony too hard to stomach.”

Titled ‘To Life! From Memory to Canvas: Celebrating the Life and Work of StanislawBrunstein’, the exhibition is split into three parts.

The Shtetl Room has been signed to give the viewer a full-bodied experience of the vitality of life in pre-war Poland – cramming in as many characters and scenes as possible on the wall.

In contrast, the second, called – Family/Attachment/Separation/Loss, is defined by empty spaces and pictures of people hungry, fearful and mourning. The third – named after the artist himself – is a series of self-portraits and looks at how Stanislaw experimented with different styles and content.

Writing in the last edition of the Essex Jewish News, former Movement for Reform Judaism President and friend of Stanislaw, Rabbi Professor Tony Bayfield said: “The deaths of the six million are an agony far beyond articulation or comprehension. But a major part of my learning has been about the equally unique and inarticulable pain and suffering of the survivors. The suffering of the murdered continues even to the second and third generations. And so does the faithfulness, loyalty and love expressed in the lives of Denise and Lorna, Stanislaw Brunstein’s children, manifesting in this exhibition for which Oaks Lane too should take enormous credit.”

The exhibition has been possible thanks to the support of The National Holocaust Centre and Museum, Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue, Redbridge Museum and a number of passionate volunteers.

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Brady Girls was a parallel to the older Brady Boys’ Club (founded 1896 by Lady Rothschild), the first Jewish youth club in the country. However, it wasn’t until 1960 that the Brady Boys and Brady Girls Club amalgamated. (They say marriages are made in heaven, but readers of a certain age may know of many who came into being at Brady.)

For eight decades in the 20^th century, the Clubs became a beacon of hope and support for underprivileged youth, provided social opportunities, skill development and even holidays for the youth of the Jewish East End.

Now The Bradians Trust present a new exhibition; ‘We are the Brady Girls part 2’,(Part 1 was held in London Metropolitan University in 2023) opens 6^th September. On show will be previously unseen images, objects from the Brady Archives and personal narratives from young women whose lives were shaped by the pivotal role the Club played in their lives and the lives of thousands of young women across the East End.

Furthermore, stories of the Brady Girls and Boys come to life in the new Brady Memory Map (www.bradymemorymap.co.uk)  where former members discuss formative experiences. There you can listen to fascinating personal stories connected to Brady by digitally pinpointing significant Jewish areas in the East End.  Such as:

Barbara; born 1942,

“We lived in; one bedroom flat – a short walk to Brady – 2 days a week; and God forbid you didn’t have your sub.

I did Hebrew a couple of hours a week and there was PT and there were other classes.  My best memory of Brady was it was just there; as were my friends and the community and there was a lot going on.”

Eric born 1944 ;

“I went to Brady when 12 or 13; I was a bit of a late starter.  We lived in a bit of a flea pit of a flat in Hessel Street market. 

My grandfather was a Kosher butcher; I worked out there were 17 Kosher butchers in the market that was 200 yards long; 20 yards wide; how any of them made a living I have no idea.”

Milly born1926:

“It was a hard life for my parents and I was the baby; one brother no money; We lived in a block of flats Hughes Mansions, Vallance Road.

‘134 people got killed in our flats [after V2 rocket attack in 1934]; my mother was sitting up in bed having a cup of tea and the girder fell the back of her neck; so then I was motherless, homeless and penniless.”

June born 1939:“Our parents loved us going to Brady because it gave us an interest; they knew where we were and there was always someone to come home with.  I was very interested in dramatics and we put on lots of different productions; I also played netball for the club and we did keep fit displays for the parents; and of course we enjoyed the socials.  Eventually I was on the committee and used to buy records for our dances and that’s when the boys used to come. “

‘We Are The Brady Girls’ will be held from 6 September to 28^th September; Mondays to Fridays 9am-7pm and Saturdays 10am – 4pm. at the original home of the Brady Girls Club in Hanbury Street, London E1; now known as the Brady Arts & Community Centre.

For more information please visit www.bradyarchive.co.uk

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Guests also heard first-hand from two JBD tenants, Diana and Gary, who were in conversation with TV star Rob Rinder.

Diana and her husband Steve moved into their Jewish Blind & Disabled flat 15 years ago after both being diagnosed with hereditary conditions.

Diana said: “We went from a normal working family of four to a family where three of us were too ill to work and Steve was caring for all of us, so had to stop working too. In 2000, I ended up in hospital for a month. This was my lowest point. I came home and couldn’t move, I just sat there staring out of the window – I was young and in despair. That’s when I was told about Jewish Blind & Disabled. I don’t know where we would be without them. JBD has given us hope and we can live independently with support around us for when we need it.”

Gary and his wife Yvonne contacted Jewish Blind & Disabled during Covid as his mobility was declining and he was struggling with few steps into his bungalow. At that time, they didn’t have a diagnosis but in Gary’s words – “I knew something was wrong”. Shortly after moving Gary was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. His condition has progressed in the last few years. Gary said: “I feel fortunate to live at JBD. We have peace of mind with the support from 24/7 house managers and it really is a special place to live.”

Speaking at the event, Jewish Blind & Disabled chair Marc Gordon said: “I have been chair of Jewish Blind & Disabled for just over a year now, but I have been a supporter for over 20 years. I thought I knew a fair amount about the work of the charity and its impact, however, the more I learn and see, the more impressed I am with our unique offering and how it is delivered. I have seen how the range of services we provide are truly life changing for people with physical disabilities and / or vision impairments. We have ambitious plans, but these are only possible due to the generous support we receive from across the community.”

Speaking afterwards, chief executive Lisa Wimborne added: “This event was a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on Jewish Blind & Disabled. All too often I hear people tell me they have never heard of us before they needed our support. Many of the people in the room were new to Jewish Blind & Disabled. I was delighted that they heard first-hand from  Diana and Gary, who spoke from the heart and articulated how their lives have changed since moving into their Jewish Blind & Disabled flats.

“Since the pandemic, we have seen increasing demand for both our housing and our Independent Living Advisory Service, and we expect this to increase for many years to come. That is why we have ambitious plans for the coming years, but these plans require us to increase our annual fundraising from £1.2m to £2.5m. Our event was another step in the right direction.”

• To find out more about Jewish Blind & Disabled or make a donation, please visit www.jbd.org.

The post JEWISH Blind & Disabled (JBD) held their most successful fundraising dinner in many years – raising more than £200,000 towards their work, which includes providing specially adapted mobility apartments in three supportive developments in Essex. appeared first on Essex Jewish News.