The Manchester Jewish Theatre Company has been entertaining the local community since it’s re-formation in 1975. Its first production was Fiddler on the Roof and over the past thirty seven years the JTC has produced over sixty plays, concerts, shows and fully staged musicals.
Highlights have included two productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, The Grand Tour (the European premiere of a Jerry Herman musical), and the much-acclaimed Broadway version of Pirates of Penzance. More recent productions have included, Oliver!, The Second Time Around and the classic revue You Don’t Have to be Jewish, especially adapted for the stage by the JTC. In 2006 The Company staged a production of J.B.Priestley’s An Inspector Calls at the Bury Metro Studio Theatre, receiving excellent reviews.
The Company has a junior section, for 11-17 year olds, which has produced such favourites as Bugsy Malone, Grease, and Annie. More recent productions have included the NODA award-winning Joseph, The Wiz, and Little Shop of Horrors.
The aim of the Jewish Theatre Company is to provide theatrical experience and skills for the Jewish Community in Manchester. We aim to involve people with learning difficulties, the socially isolated, under 25s and people looking for more diverse activities within the community. This will enhance their quality of life through new friendships and skills utilising community facilities.
The JTC was proud to take part in the ‘Israel 60’ Celebrations in Manchester in June 2008. The cast for this performance included a lively mixture of experience and youthful energy. A full adult musical production, ‘Strictly Broadway’, was performed in March 2009.
In January 2011 we performed ‘Ghetto’, an emotional and powerful play with music about life in the Vilna Ghetto during the Holocaust, to sell-out audiences over four nights. This was followed in June with a tribute to two Theatre Company stalwarts, Bernard Wallis and Norman Pearlman. “The Show Must Go On” included numbers and sketches from shows that these two wonderful entertainers were involved in. It’s 3 night run was so successful that we ran it in a slightly revised form in November to 2 more packed houses.
We are always looking to keep our audiences entertained with a variety of drama on offer. The next year is a really exciting one with our show, “Joseph”, drama workshops, dance classes and a play, Hobson’s Choice all arranged. 2012 looks set to be one of our best yet so make sure you are a part of it, either by taking part or coming along for a great night out as a member of our audience.
In 2013 our musical production will be “Annie Get Your Gun” (Broadway Revised Edition.) This will be another fantastic production from our superb production team of Director Robert Margolis, Choreographer Debbie Hilton and Musical Direction by David Wilson.
Watch this space for more details.
Contact us on jtc.org@gmail.com
