A cleverly structured hour that is testament to Jewish humour and perseverance
Inspired by a hate message that concluded with, “Who do you think you are, Queen of the Jews?”, Rachel Creeger earns her crown in this sharp and warmly funny new show.
The framing of “Queen of the Jews!” sees the London comic sharing instances of antisemitism that she’s experienced and ranking them using the official UK terrorism threat level guidance (low, moderate, substantial, severe, critical). From tales of her childhood in the East End Orthodox community to her longstanding career as a comedian, her anecdotes are at once entertaining and sobering. While she retroactively pokes fun at her aggressors, she also communicates the ongoing threat of harassment as an outspoken Jewish person. Just last year, Ultimate Jewish Mother, her regular Fringe show was cancelled, as the venue claimed staff felt “unsafe” after threats to Jewish acts. “Instead of reassuring the bar staff who raised concerns,” fellow Jewish comic Philip Simon said at the time, “the solution was to remove the Jews from the bill.” It begs the question: how different are conservative programmers from the people who openly shouted slurs at Creeger’s family from passing cars years ago?
Throughout the show, Creeger takes time to check in with her audience. Ensuring everyone in the snug room is in it together gives “Queen of the Jews!” the feeling of a chat with a good friend: deep, sometimes heavy, but ultimately comforting in its intimacy. The terror scale juxtaposing everyday scenes of Jewish life is the perfect metaphor for how the Jewish community is so often seen as a threat by outsiders, while dealing with the fear of discrimination themselves.
Creeger has as much potent commentary as she has quips (“I did eight minutes [of standup], which is a miracle because I only had enough material for one”), with room for more punchy deliveries. Fresh off a work-in-progress run at the Greater Manchester Fringe, “Queen of the Jews!” is a pitch-perfect return to Edinburgh for this comic.
By Maia Kahn
Photo by Karla Gowlett
Rachel Creeger: “Queen of the Jews!” runs until Monday 31 August. 2.30pm. PWYC (£5-£12.50 suggested). Hoots @ The Apex, EH1 2HS. edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/rachel-creeger-queen-of-the-jews