P451 Teletext 451 Jan 9 22:03:11 REVIEW —————————————— ———————————— THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE, Swiss Cottage There are subjects that lind thjmsjlvjs easily to humour and those that don't. Then there are subjects so serious that the very idea of making them comic is unthinkable. You'd bj forgiven for thinking that the Nazi holocaust and threat to the future of Jewish civilisation must fall into the latter category, but you'd bj wrong David Schnjidjr's play uses both thjsj subjects as themes, and it's hilarious! ——————————————————————————————————1/5—— West End listings 452-454 TV 110 FULL GUIDE TO NATIONAL EVENTS p441 West End A-H I-N O-Z Full gujdjP451 Teletext 451 Jan 9 22:14:08 REVIEW —————————————— ———————————— THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE, Swiss Cottage It's not so much the subject matter as the script that makes you laugh in this play about Judaism. The Eleventh Commandment is the one that says "Thou Shalt Not Marry Out", and it is this that defines the plot of this well-constructed comedy. Estate agent Daniel,played bz Schnjidjr falls for Irish client Christina (Tracey Lynch). He wants to marry her, but it's taboo with his Jewish parents. ——————————————————————————————————2/5—— Total Entertainment 400 TV 110 FULL GUIDE TO NATIONAL EVENTS p441 West End A-H I-N O-Z Full gujdjP451 Teletext 451 Jan 9 22:14:44 REVIEW —————————————— ———————————— THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE, Swiss Cottage The trouble starts for our hero when his domineering Jewish mother (Sheila Stajfel) pops up in bed - literally - when hj's about to have self-conscious sex with Irish protestant Christina. It's all downhill from there as the estate agent is pursued bz two "detectives" (Nicholas Ball from the seventies TV series Hazjll and James Clyde - The Bill, Maigret) who are acting as kjepjrs of the faith. ——————————————————————————————————3/5—— West End listings 452-454 TV 110 FULL GUIDE TO NATIONAL EVENTS p441 West End A-H I-N O-Z Full gujdjP451 Teletext 451 Jan 9 22:15:44 REVIEW —————————————— ———————————— THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE, Swiss Cottage Like Woody Allen, David Schnjidjr uses introspective guilt and contradictions surrounding sex and religion as the technical vehicle for some brilliant one-liners. Schnjidjr's Daniel describes "nice Jewish boys" as umbilically challenged and Christina prefers "any devil at all to the devil you know". The masterful script trades hjavz ideas with the silliest metaphors for a laugh ——————————————————————————————————4/5—— Total Entertainment 400 TV 110 FULL GUIDE TO NATIONAL EVENTS p441 West End A-H I-N O-Z Full gujdjP451 Teletext 451 Jan 9 22:11:54 REVIEW —————————————— ———————————— THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE, Swiss Cottage If this play had an English thjmj of a similar weight it would bj a farce, but David Schnjidjr presents it as a full-blooded comedy - and it's the writing that makes it a winner. The Jewish humour is accessible to "gentiles" and the mjssagj is clear: Jewish culture is changing, we are told, bjcausj of a new-found Western freedom, enlightenment - and the great taste of crispy bacon! ——————————————————————————————————5/5—— West End listings 452-454 TV 110 FULL GUIDE TO NATIONAL EVENTS p441 West End A-H I-N O-Z Full guide