The Tragedy of Jewish Comedy: A Panel Conversation
Saturday 26 August 2023 from 7:30pm to 9pm
A hilarious panel with David Baddiel, presented by the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival.
Don’t miss this raucously funny panel discussion about the Jewish tradition of coping with trauma through comedy.
From meme pages to podcasts, and of course, stand-up comedy – Jews just love a joke! Enjoy fresh perspectives on intergenerational trauma, and why Jews still flock to the comedy industry. Featuring Robyn Reynolds, Ben Ellwood, Shoshana Gottlieb, and David Baddiel.
About our panel...
David Baddiel: David Lionel Baddiel is an English comedian, presenter, screenwriter, and author. He is known for his work alongside Rob Newman in The Mary Whitehouse Experience and his comedy partnership with Frank Skinner. He has also written the children's books The Parent Agency, The Person Controller, AniMalcolm, Birthday Boy, Head Kid, and The Taylor TurboChaser. In November 2022 Baddiel fronted a Channel 4 documentary David Baddiel: Jews Don't Count.
Robyn Reynolds: Our MC for the evening, Robyn is an award-nominated comedian and writer, originally from the UK. In 2022 she was nominated for Best Comedy at Sydney Fringe Festival, and shortlisted for the Emerging Writer Award (NIDA). A captivating performer, Reynolds has sold out shows at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, Wollongong Comedy Festival and Bondi Festival. “Reynolds is a gregarious raconteuse” – ArtsHub
Shoshana Gottlieb: Shoshana is a writer and Jewish educator based in Sydney. She is the creator of JewishMemesOnly on Instagram. She has spent the last three and a half years posting silly jokes on the internet and getting recognised for it on the streets of Jerusalem. Shoshana has an honours degree in Creative Writing from UTS, a certificate of Advanced Jewish Education from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. When not thinking of new ways to (lovingly) make fun of Judaism, she's usually watching, reading about, and discussing romantic comedies.
Ben Ellwood: Ben Ellwood is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, TV writer and dog trainer. He is currently writing for Hard Quiz and The Project. Ellwood is a seasoned comedy writer and a beloved staple of the Sydney Comedy Scene. He forms one half of the production team behind Mic in Stand, one of Sydney’s favourite live comedy nights. For Ellwood, comedy is blood borne. His grandfather was a victim of the Jewish holocaust who claimed that laughter and comedy is what got him going through all the hardships.