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.

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.

The post Theatre review – Thespians: Greece The Musical (But Not That One) appeared first on Essex Jewish News.

Mark was a key part of the Essex Jewish News for many years, writing the leader column and travel articles, as well as acting as our Cambridge correspondent and editorial guide. He and beloved wife Sharon passed away within 10 weeks of each other in 2022.

The concert was part of the European Cantors Association Festival and all proceeds will go to supporting the Woolf Institute’s Religious Diversity in End of Life Care programme.

• Picture by Arnold Rose

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The concert had been organised and sponsored by Deborah Shulton, in memory of her late father Ken Turner.

In Deborah’s welcome speech she explained that Ken was a big fan of Jeremy’s, after hearing his version of the beautiful Marc Cohn song The Things We’ve Handed Down when it was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.

Ken, together with Deborah and his elder daughter Tracy, subsequently went to a number of Jeremy’s concerts and became one of his biggest and possibly oldest fans.

Deborah told the Essex Jewish News: “When I was looking to do something in honour of Dad’s memory – this concert seemed the perfect choice.”

The evening – which was arranged by the Loughton Shul events team with the help of Mark Kass from the National Jazz Archive – was a complete sell out.

All 150 tickets sold within two weeks of going on sale, leading to a waiting list being created.

On the evening itself Jeremy was blown away with the warmth that was in the room, as well as the audience participation throughout the concert.

Proceeds from the evening were donated to Loughton Shul and the Made with Love Chicken Soup Run.

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The event, which was held at City Pavilion in Collier Row, was part of Nissim’s ‘Bright Lights Tour 2021’ and attracted 600 people of all ages and backgrounds from across London who all came together to enjoy his music.

Although Nissim has visited and performed in London before for small private events, this was Nissim Black’s first ever full concert in London, and Chabad were honoured to have had the opportunity to organise this special event.

Rabbi Odom Brandman, of Chabad Buckhurst Hill, who oversaw the concert, said “Nissim has an amazing story, he is a unique and special character and was both a total pleasure and professional to work with and was inspirational and uplifting to everyone at the concert”.

African American Nissim grew up in the US where he was not only a rapper, but a gang member.

He became religious around ten years ago converting to Judaism in 2012 and moved to Israel with his family in 2016. He has since built up a large fanbase for his music including in the UK.

Finding the right venue and securing everything needed to pull such a huge event proved extremely challenging, but the spiritual investment into the community and the hard work of Brandman and the rest of his production team was the driving force behind getting it done.

The venue was transformed by the amazing talent of CVS International complete with a star cloth backdrop, lights, huge screens and spark effects.

On the night, Brandman along with his team -Adrian Silas, Adrian Lee, Esther Joseph and their youth workers Sonia Beame and Morrisa Schuler – were blown away by Nissim’s energetic and inspiring performance throughout his 90 minute set.

Rabbi Brandman added: “The night was an amazing experience from start to finish for everyone and without a doubt the big highlight of Chanukah in Essex 2021”

During a quick costume change for Nissim, Rabbi Brandman of Chabad Buckhurst Hill and Rabbi Sufrin MBE of Chabad Gants Hill and Head Shliach to North East London & Essex, took to the stage to light a huge Menorah and share some words of inspiration with the crowd.

Rabbi Sufrin spoke amount the amazing growth of Chabad across Essex now with 9 public Menorahs and Rabbi Brandman spoke about the tremendous effects our positive displays of Jewish Pride can have on our communities. 

This event builds on the success of last year’s Drive-In Concert which was attended by nearly 1,000 people and once again makes Chabad Essex stand out as a leading force when it comes to Community.

One of the Chabad Team heard a little boy tell his mother on the way out that it was ‘the best day of my life!’  Whilst a teacher from a London Jewish school who brought a group of 23 teenagers to the event, felt that the positive Jewish effect of the concert was ‘worth more than 6 months of Jewish Studies lessons in the classroom’

Rabbi Odom Brandman added, when you hear things like this, it makes it all worth it! 

After the concert Nissim came back to Chabad Buckhurst Hill where Rabbi Odom Brandman presented him with an inscribed book, the Tanya printed in the Chabad House and one of the last remaining bottles of Chabad Buckhurst Hill’s famous Menorah Whisky from 2009.

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The concert, which will take place on Wednesday 1^st December, is being organised by Rabbi Odom Brandman of Chabad Buckhurst Hill. Last year he was involved in organising a huge Drive-In Chanukah Concert attracting over 1000 people from the local community who enjoyed a Covid-safe Chanukah party from the comfort of their cars. After the success of that, he was determined to do something bigger and better this year and has described this concert as an amazing scoop for Essex and the wider community.’

“Chabad is always looking to grow and think out of the box to inspire the community. Nissim has an amazing story, is a unique and special character and will be an inspiration to all who attend this concert”.

Finding the right venue and putting together the event has been challenging for Rabbi Brandman and his team, but he is confident that it will be an ‘extremely memorable evening’ not only for the Essex community but those in NW London and Stamford Hill.

Nissim grew up in the US where he was not only a rapper, but a gang member. He became religious around ten years ago converting to Judaism in 2012, and moved to Israel with his family in 2016. This is the first time he has visited the UK for a few years and in that time he has built up a large fanbase over here who will be keen to see him perform live.

With only 1,200 tickets available, booking early is essential to avoid disappoint as the event is likely to sell out fast! Doors open at 6pm. Concert starts at 7pm. There will be an opportunity to also buy additional tickets for a personal Meet and Great with Nissim after the concert.

To find out more and buy tickets visit: www.jewishessex.com.

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