Life is intense. It’s full on and it can tip you over the edge. Fortunately, human society has always found a way to deal with this pressure – Carnival!
Take a journey through human history to explore the myriad of ways humanity has created their own pressure valve through Carnival – the customs, practices and celebrations, ranging from the bizarre to the chilling through to the festive and how this concept specifically relates to Judaism, the festival of Purim and the richness of humour that has always been a staple within the Jewish people.
Dr Robert Messik has been writing since 1999. His stage plays include The King of Schnorrers, Jungle which was Time Out Critics' Choice, Memoirs of a Madman, an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's short story for the Brighton Theatre Royal and A Quality of Mercy, about one man's miraculous escape from the Einsatzgruppen. Consideration, From A to B and The Big Bow Mystery were all written for Radio 4 and were all Critic's Choice. Dragonflies premiered in London as a double bill with Pineapple (published by Samuel French) as part of the initial Tsitsit Festival. Robert worked with UJIA and wrote ‘Letters, Light and Love’ which played at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket to great acclaim, raising over one million pounds for Kibbutz Be’eri following the October 7th attacks. ‘The Ballad of Raggedy Alice,’ a whimsical new musical, premiered at the Arts Depot in November 2024. Robert has been teaching theatre and drama for twenty years which has taken him all over the world, has a PHD in Jewish theatre and runs the King Alfred Phoenix Theatre in London as well as consulting on theatre builds up and down the country.
