stage
The Apocryphal Jew
The Apocryphal Jew
K. j. Wignall
K. j. Wignall
"The Apocryphal Jew" is a riotous black comedy set in the Medieval town of Tewkesbury in the year 1260. It tells the supposedly true story of the town's only Jewish inhabitant, Solomon, who falls into a sewer on a Saturday. Unable to get out, and unable to accept help on his Sabbath, he elects to stay in there. On Sunday, the local Lord, Richard de Clare, pronounces that Solomon must also observe the Christian Sabbath. By Monday, he's dead. On the surface, it's little more than an unpleasant, anti-Semitic anecdote, but it survived for over 700 years - why? The play explores the role of the outsider in society, of "otherness", and the story at its heart remains vital to us today, speaking as it does of all those who are excluded for being different, whether because of race, religion, sexuality or any other minority trait.
The first professional production of "The Apocryphal Jew" is scheduled to take place in September 2025 (more details TBA).