Coming to London’s Theatre503, thrilling comedy-horror These Demons marks the debut play from Rachel Bellman.
Exploring family ties, sisterhood and Jewish demonology, the family drama is set in modern-day Britain and aims to rethink the mainstream narrative around Jewish stories, as well as tackling themes of antisemitism, sexism and the stigma of the ‘village witch.’
When an incident puts her aunt Mirah in hospital, 17-year-old Leah takes it upon herself to find the perpetrator and exact revenge. But as she puts together her plan, the lines of reality become blurred. Her search for answers becomes a search for demons – metaphorical and… not.
Despite what her sister Danielle tells her, the shadows in their aunt’s remote cottage seem to move. Surrounded by books about Jewish exorcisms, the two sisters fight the sinking suspicion that they’re not alone.
Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting, These Demons delves into what it means to feel ‘other’, whether through culture, age, or willingness to conform. It weaves together different types of demons from historical texts and sources in ways that can be interpreted literally and metaphorically as well as mythologically.
The play is directed by Jasmine Teo (The Bevin Boys) and produced by Tanya Truman (Pickle).
These Demons runs at Theatre503 from September 26 – October 14, 2023.
Tickets here.