One Jewish Boy (NHB Modern Plays)

Jesse is paranoid and frightened, and it's messing up his relationship, his job, his son and his life. But Jesse has every reason to be frightened; he is increasingly feeling the sting of rising prejudice in every part of his life. Stephen Laughton's play One Jewish Boy explores key moments over an eight-year relationship between a nice Jewish boy from North London and the nice, not-so-Jewish woman with whom he falls in love. An urgent response to anti-Semitism, this bittersweet comedy focuses on one young family's struggle against prejudice, and asks if the fear of hatred could be worse than hate itself? It was first produced at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington, in 2018, before transferring to Trafalgar Studios in London's West End in 2020. This edition also includes the short play Three. 'Moving... shows how race, gender, class, culture, and, perhaps most importantly, fear, impact on the characters' lives' - The Stage 'Does what good theatre should do - it begs questions and provokes thought which linger in the mind long after... provocative, urgent and powerful' - Attitude Magazine 'The writing is sharp, with timely references to pop culture and millennial angst, with smartly-observed and funny discussions of white privilege, left-wing politics, Israel, and arguments over who had it worse... necessary viewing' - Everything Theatre 'Wonderful and brilliantly written' - Exeunt Magazine

Stephen Laughton is a playwright whose work includes: One Jewish Boy (Old Red Lion, London, 2018); Run (VAULT Festival, London, 2016; The Bunker, London, 2017); Nine (part of the PlayWROUGHT#3 Festival at the Arcola Theatre, 2015); and Marina Abramovic is Staring at Me (Terra Firma Theatre's 2011-12 Boxcar Reading Series at the Railroad Playhouse in Newburgh, New York, then Cell Theatre, Manhattan). His work for television includes Forward (Blacklisted Films) and Black Hill (Lime Pictures).