Simon Ward reviews Rules Schmules – How To Be Jew-ISH at the Etcetera Theatre

Suzie Depreli is in the middle of a tour of the Fringes – so far she has covered Brighton and Greater Manchester. This show is part of the Camden Fringe before taking on the daddy of them all, Edinburgh, later this month. And, in truth, this is an archetypal ‘fringe’ show. One woman show, minimal tech, not overlong, easy to transport from venue to venue. But don’t let that put you off, as Depreli’s warmth and generosity of spirit make a virtue of the cosy intimacy.

The hook for the show is that Jewish people generally have a number of rules by which they are expected to abide. Depreli’s take on each of these has prompted her to compose a series of songs. During the course of these she provides a witty and often hilarious narrative of her own life experiences, and the ups and downs of her relationship with Judaism and her family. Just narrated straight this might not work, but the music and lyrics bring it to life. On-screen photos of generations of family members and herself celebrating, eating and laughing together add to the irresistibe intimacy. Depreli’s Jew-ishness is largely cultural rather than religious. She is happy to mix and match Christian and Jewish traditions – to particularly funny effect in the mash-up of Christmas and Chanukah. But she does draw strength and solidarity from being part of a race with roots all over the world.

The show is not just a non-stop laugh-fest, though. The question of anti-semitism is addressed, made more palatable by the adorable Sesame Street-style characters delivering the message. And Depreli’s own traumatising experiences of flyering for the show hit hard. The current war in Israel is not mentioned, but that is hardly surprising as it is not what the show is about. It is one woman’s relationship with her heritage and no kind of political statement. The intimacy is almost overwhelming when she talks about the men in her family as she was growing up – her grandfather, her father and her great-uncle. It is testament to the love and support that she grew up with that she can make a show like this – breaking rules willy-nilly apart from the most important one – to be kind. The final ‘End Song’ tells a tale of struggle, of finding strength and courage and ultimately love and fellowship. If you end up in floods of tears after an hour of comedy of songs, that is the power of a great storyteller.

Come for the laughter, stay for the heartbreaking poignancy, this a perfect fringe show.

Rules Schmules – How To Be Jew-ISH runs at the Etcetera Theatre, above the Oxford Arms, 265 Camden High St
London NW1 7BU until 10th August and is then at Just The Tonic – The Caves, 253 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1NN from 20th to 25th August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe