
Cafe Named Desire

“Café Named Desire” (previously known as “Jew You Love Me?”) is an original musical about love, sexuality, and self-discovery. It tells the story of a local café in Golders Green, and the intertwining lives of its customers. Though many of the people who frequent the café are of Jewish/Israeli background, the café is owned by Samira, a queer woman who comes from a strict Muslim background, which she abandoned following the backlash of her coming out as a teen. Sam runs the café with her two flatmates – Gabi; a Jewish professional searching for love in the wrong places, and Will; a bisexual musician whose quest for a Bohemian lifestyle leaves little room for emotional attachment.
We also get to know some of the café’s regulars, including Ethan and Alon, a gay couple struggling with the concepts of monogamy and heteronormativity. We then meet Rachel and Yaakov, an elderly Jewish couple determined to make the most of the time they have left together, and their grand-daughter Bracha, a closeted religious university student who is torn between her religious and sexual identities.
As the musical unfolds, the lives of our characters are weaved together, creating three main storylines: A love triangle turned polyamorous “throuple” between Ethan, Alon, and Will; Gabi and Sam’s failed attempt at turning their friendship into a relationship; and Bracha’s ongoing struggle with her sexuality and its subsequent effects on her relationships with her grandparents and the patrons of the café.
Cast & Creatives
Writers & Directors – David Djemal, Shachar Shamai
Additional songs by – Emily Rose-Simons (“Swipe to the right” – “Blessing”)
Production Manager – Anna Oggero
Musical Director – Kieran Stallard
Developed and produced in a collaborative process with our cast (in order of appearance): Martha Pothen (Sam), Ashley Racov (Gabi), Jack Reitman (Will), Batel Israel (Rachel), Josh Becker (Yakov), Alex Ayliffe (Ethan), Ido Gonen (Alon), Tanya Truman (Bracha), and Adi Loya (Dina).
Videography: Yue Wang
Website & Social Media
Website: https://www.thejewishcabaret.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JEWishCABARET/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JEWishCABARET/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejewishcabaret/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwZ56szhnjO0fI4JwULk6og/
Date
Time
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: 11 May 2020 - 17 May 2020
- Time: All Day
Location
Artist
The JEWish Cabaret
The JEWish Cabaret is a theatre collaborative dedicated to challenging the perceptions of the general public on what it means to be Jewish by creating innovative theatrical productions inspired by our dialogue with our own Jewish Identity. The JEWish Cabaret has written and produced two cabarets based on stories from the Old Testament, and a musical revue which raised funds for the persecuted LGBTQ community in Chechnya. In 2018 we created an original new musical named “Jew You Love Me?”. Written in a devised process with our cast, it tackled modern issues of love, religion and sexuality. It has since performed successfully in London and in Israel. After some rewrites the musical is now called “Café Named Desire”. We hope to continue to create original material connecting Jewish culture with the world of theatre and the British public. We aim to create a platform which provides quality entertainment drawing on the Jewish traditions while challenging them with humour, satire and pride.
Past Shows
Confessions Of A Rabbi’s Daughter
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Indecent Musings of Miss Doncaster 2007
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Waiting For Hamlet – An Audio Play!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
“The Masks of Aphra Behn” and “Oranges & Ink” – A Double Bill!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Goodbye: The Afterlife Of Cook and Moore
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Delight of Dogs and The Problems of People
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
“The Masks of Aphra Behn” and “Oranges & Ink” – A Double Bill!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Waiting For Hamlet – An Audio Play!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Goodbye: The Afterlife Of Cook and Moore
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Legacy of William Ireland
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Goodbye: The Afterlife Of Cook and Moore
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
By the Light of the Moon
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Two Super Super Hot Men
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Delight of Dogs and The Problems of People
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Hansel and Gretel – Opera
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Warn Them Of The Danger
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Lullabies for the Lost
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Super enjoyable, live and on video! Well done 🙂