The Last Laugh: How Jewish Comedian Alex Edelman Turned Antisemitic Trolling Into A Sell-Out Show 

When Jewish comedian and writer Alex Edelman took his show Just For Us – which mines antisemitism for laughs – for a three-week run at New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre in late 2021, he didn’t anticipate how quickly it would be returning to an even bigger space: the SoHo Playhouse. Thanks to critical acclaim, sold-out seats and high-profile attendees (the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Benj Pasek and Josh Groban), Edelman has since become the talk of theatre land.

That said, Edelman is no newbie. He has previously had sell-out hits in London’s West End and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2020 he was head writer and executive producer of Saturday Night Seder, a virtual star-studded YouTube special telling the story of Passover through music and comedy, which raised funds for the CDC Foundation Covid-19 Emergency Response (so far it has raised $3.5 million).

During this time, he also penned the show currently setting tongues wagging. Featuring a collection of hilarious anecdotes from Edelman’s life, Just For Us was inspired by a string of antisemitic abuse he received online, after which he covertly attended a white nationalist gathering. Edelman, who describes himself as “curious, neurotic and grateful” with a “constantly changing” relationship to Judaism, says: “I guess in the pandemic I found a little bit more of a Jewish community with the friends and activities I immersed myself in. This has really benefited the show, because if my relationship to Judaism changes, that manifests with an actual change in the show.”

Just For Us is a piece that not only provokes conversation but also encourages community. Edelman believes one of the reasons the show resonates – it is one of the most talked about in New York – is because everyone is on a journey to establish greater meaning, whether that be through religion, cultural identity, sense of self, family or community.

Undeniably, Edelman’s wave of success speaks to other up-and-coming comedians. His advice? “Have very high standards for yourself, because people usually meet their own standards.” He also believes in writing what you know, be it shame or embarrassment, and “leaning in to the thing that possesses you”. And what has always possessed Edelman is grappling with issues bigger than himself. It is what set him on this huge trajectory and resulted in this clever solo show. Beg, borrow or steal a ticket.
 
Gala Gordon is a British actor and producer