Join us for staged readings of two of Wolf Mankowitz’ short plays.
In his day, Wolf Mankowitz was one of Britain’s best known and best loved playwrights. He also screenwrote Bond films, was a world authority on Wedgwood China and was suspected by MI5 of being a communist spy!
It Should Happen to a Dog
Mankowitz’ witty, serio-comic, mostly faithful retelling of the story of Jonah presents the reluctant Jewish hero as an aggrieved figure who will be familiar to many today. After trying, and failing, to wrestle with G-d, Jonah’s adventure takes him on a wild journey, from shore to sea to belly-of-a-fish before traversing the length of the wicked Nineveh to save not only the city’s very soul, but its people and animals too.
As to the message of the story - ‘Why should I not spare Nineveh?’ This is, one hopes, how G-d feels about Humankind - unlike Humankind which is less tolerant of itself.
The Mighty Hunter
In Mankowitz’ poetic adaption of the Tower of Babel story, an enigmatic narrator figure guides the mighty hunter, Nimrod, from his humble beginnings to kingship and downfall in this Jewish tale of ambition and hubris that would give Shakespeare’s Macbeth or Sophocles’ Oedipus a run for their money.
Cast & Creative
Dan Krikler: Nimrod, Man, Sailor, King, Angel
Aaron Lynn: Jonah, Man with a long white beard
Directed by Conrad Cohen
