Bubble Schmeisis

The tale of an Essex Jew's introduction to the rituals of the Jewish bathhouse in East London (Canning Town). Told through a series of vignettes of his growing up, triggered by their journey around the North Circular (A406) I think that this show was meant to be a comic introduction to aspects of Jewish (and East End) life now on the wane. Somehow, it missed its target. I used to work in Stanmore, I travelled the North Circular twice a day for years, through all the regions he mentioned, I even rented a room in an orthodox Jewish house in Tottenham so I should have felt at least some connection to the narrative. Sadly, I did not, though many in the audience clearly did.

It really didn't help that this show overran by 15 minutes, in part because the pace seemed a little on the self indulgent side. At the Fringe, times are often tight for those wanting to see many shows and overrunning is at best inconsiderate.