Seven Other Children (and the shame of the Royal Court)

By: Chas Newkey-Burden   On: 11 April 2009

Remember Seven Jewish Children, the sinister little piece by Caryl Churchill that was performed at the Royal Court in February? Well, the benefit of any doubt over the Royal Court’s intention in putting it on has surely been eroded by some news I can reveal here.

First a re-cap. Seven Jewish Children was a straightforward piece of antisemitism, masquerading as a critique of Israel. Melanie Phillips described it as a “blood libel“, Howard Jacobson called it “The old stuff – jew-hating pure and simple“, the Sunday Times said it came from a “fetid, smug, self-congratulating” world. The Jewish Chronicle’s theatre critic John Nathan concluded: “For the first time in my career as a critic, I am moved to say about a work at a major production house that this is an antisemitic play.” A coalition of over 60 prominent British Jews wrote a joint letter to the Daily Telegraph to complain about the play.

Not that everyone disapproved. Michael Billington, the theatre critic of The Guardian wrote a simpering review, including this gem: the play “taught us to see how Jewish children are bred to believe in the otherness of Palestinians”. Absolute nonsense, of course. If he wants to find evidence of that sort of thing and worse, he should look at how Palestinian children are taught to regard Jews.

The counterpoint to Seven Jewish Children opens in London next month. It is called Seven Other Children. It is written and produced by Richard Stirling, a RADA-trained theatrical polymath (and goy) with an impressive pedigree: he has published a biography of Julie Andrews; adapted and produced Tomfoolery about Tom Lehrer and wrote and produced Over My Shoulder about the theatre and cinema star Jessie Matthews.

The play opens on May 5th at 9.50pm at the New End Theatre (it is only 10 minutes long). It is on for two weeks, Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is free but you have to book. Tickets can be ordered from the following number 020 7592 9666 (leave your name and the number of tickets you want, you can then collect them on the night). Alternatively you can call the theatre on 0870 033 2733 but a booking fee of 70 pence per ticket applies.

There will be a collection after Seven Other Children for OneVoice, the international mainstream grassroots movement, which puts pressure on politicians of both sides to conclude a two-state solution guaranteeing an end to occupation and violence. (Paul McCartney has just joined its International Board of Advisers).

Seven Other Children is directed by Simone Vause and features a cast of nine international actors.

And here is where the Royal Court re-enters the story. The Seven Other Children script is being made freely available. Therefore, any theatre that showed Seven Jewish Children but refuses to show Seven Other Children can be seen for what it is. When the Royal Court was roundly criticised for staging Seven Jewish Children in February, it insisted it presents “a multiplicity of viewpoints”.

A multiplicity of viewpoints, you say? The Royal Court has just turned down Seven Other Children. It had a golden opportunity to redress the clear antisemitism of Caryl Churchill’s hideous play, and it turned it down. Shame on them.

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