Jew Talking to Me?
A new, unashamedly Jewish comedy chat show for a mainstream audience launches on Friday 26th June 2020, created and hosted by award-winning U.K comedians Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon, and produced by Russell Balkind.
Titled “Jew Talkin’ to Me?”, the show is a light-hearted look at being Jewish through the eyes of some of the UK’s best-loved Jewish comedians, presenters, broadcasters, journalists and actors.
Guests lined up for the series include Steve Furst, Ivor Baddiel, Anthony Horowitz, Sooz Kempner, Jay Foreman, Debbie Chazen, Alice Fraser, Sara Gibbs, Joe Bor, Daniel Cainer and Lynn Ruth Miller. Each shares their own unique perspectives on being 21st century Jews as well as their memories of growing up and what being Jewish means to them.
The 30-minute episodes will be packed with stories, opinions, jokes, opinions, laughs, and, as it’s a Jewish show, even more opinions. Rachel and Philip are lively and entertaining as they chat with their guests, whether they’re asking them “What’s the matter, Bubbelah?” or quizzing them on their favourite family foods and their favourite family feuds. They will also find out who has the best Jewish claim to fame in ‘Six Degrees of Can’t Eat Bacon’, strive to answer important questions like, “If Laughter Is The Best Medicine, Why Do We Need Chicken Soup?”; and put an end to long-running debates such as “is it pronounced bagel or beigel?”
Rachel, the only practising orthodox Jewish woman on the UK comedy circuit, says: “The show is a light-hearted look at Jewishness rather than Judaism, making it appealing and accessible to everyone. We aren’t trying to convert, educate or return anyone to the flock. This is a warm, relaxed and funny chat show that recreates the kind of conversations you’d have if you found yourself on the miscellaneous table at your cousin Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah.”
Philip, a host of the Edinburgh Fringe’s cult hit show Jew-O-Rama, adds: “Being Jewish means something different to everyone. For some, it might be as simple as watching Friday Night Dinner and thinking it cuts a bit too close to home, for others it could be a key part of their identity. The common thread is that everyone has stories to tell and thinks their grandma’s chicken soup is the best. Rachel and I sit at opposite ends of the Shabbat table. She strictly observes the sabbath, I sneakily eat bacon sandwiches. Sorry, mum.”
Produced by Russell Balkind, Series Producer of The Mash Report and 8 Out of 10 Cats, episodes will be available to watch online on Facebook (https://facebook/JewTalkin) and YouTube (https://bit.ly/JewTalkin) and released as a podcast on all the usual platforms. Once venues reopen and the arts scene returns, it will also be recorded in front of live audiences at festivals and wider community events.
Jew Talkin’ To Me? Imagine if The Marvellous Mrs Maisel found herself on the couch with Graham Norton!
