London, UK - A Cafe Named Desire (formerly Jew You Love Me?) is an original musical, conceived by the JEWish Cabaret, that comes on the heels of their very successful original show “Purim - Uncut!” With such moving songs as “Writing a Love Song” and laugh-out-loud funny songs like “Swipe to the Right,” this demo recording is a great way to spend a half hour or so.

Check out this website to hear/buy the album, and be sure to watch the trailer below:

From the submission:

A previous iteration of "Café Named Desire" premiered in July 2018 under the title - "Jew You Love Me?" at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre and received very positive reviews. "Jew You Love Me?" subsequently toured Israel following an invitation from the International Festival of Contemporary Jewish Culture in Jerusalem in November 2018. We were supposed to stage the production in autumn 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 emergency we were unable to get the funds necessary to move forward. 

“Café Named Desire” is a musical that tells the story of a local independent 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 and managed by Samira, a young 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 young professional searching for love in all the wrong places, and Will; a young 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 young 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. Bracha came from Israel to visit her more liberal grandparents, and is confronted by a world which is far less black and white than she is used to.

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 other patrons of the café.

“Café Named Desire” explores the complexities of belonging to more than one minority identity, and the inner struggle of bridging them while still honouring their place in one’s life. We chose to explore less conventional relationships in our musical in order to push the envelope and confront some of the stereotypes often attributed to communities deemed more religious or conservative. In doing so, “Café Named Desire” remains accessible to a universal audience. Like the society it represents, our cast consists of equal parts men and women of various backgrounds and religions, while still maintaining specificity by focusing on the less explored Jewish community of North London. Our aim is to create theatre for all through our own unique perspective.

“Café Named Desire” contains strong themes of family, acceptance, community, and above all – love. Through its humour and poignance, “Café Named Desire” encourages its audiences to cherish love in their lives, no matter in which way it may choose to manifest itself. “Café Named Desire” insists on finding ways to navigate the balance between tradition, community, and individualism. In a time when many of these values are pitted against each other, we believe this message is more important than ever.

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).

Website & Social MediaWebsite: 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/