Boy, can Max Olesker tell a story. In Making the Cut, which occupies the hybrid space between stand-up and theatre, Olesker relates the tale of meeting Eliana, and the laborious process of conversion from Reform to Modern Orthodox Judaism that he undertakes in the name of love. Deft and self-assured, he seizes control of your attention and emotions from the first few lines and expertly steers them from comedy to heartbreak and back again.
It’s a smart and gorgeously structured story. The question of whether love will win out keeps the tension wound taut, with the increasingly unreasonable demands from the Beth Din, the panel of rabbis sitting in judgment over their proposed union, ratcheting it ever tighter.
Bookending and callback rhetorical devices abound, and all feel natural and unforced. The structure is so solid that it bridges absolute hilarity with a visit to Auschwitz and the solemn reading out of the names of the murdered members of the Olesker family tree, all within the scant space of an hour, with neither element feeling even remotely out of place. The range is incredible, and the poignant moments will move you to the point of tears.
There’s only the most oblique nod to current geopolitical issues, which is absolutely appropriate for the kind of story this is. Instead, there are linkages unobtrusively woven into big questions such as the role of tradition, and who gets to “make the cut” about who belongs.
The cleverness extends to the staging. A baton comes out for a couple of whirlwind, and extremely funny, educational sessions on Jewish law and ritual. It becomes a dial needle, and then, of course, resurfaces for the matter of the circumcision. A versatile tablecloth becomes the tallit prayer shawl and also the kerchief of a neighbour in a Pythonesque vocal number about life in the Jewish London enclave of Hendon. The Beth Din make their pronouncements from a simple and effectively evoked throne.
Which brings us to the humour. It’s not only gut-achingly laugh-out-loud, but it’s the hardest kind of funny to pull off: consistently droll, witty, and laceratingly sharp. And, yes, it was amply evident that the audience was filled with landsleit, compatriots, but this is very much a broadly relatable story about love and family, boundlessly enjoyable for people from all backgrounds.
By turns tender, heartfelt, and hilarious, and at all times authentic and emotionally open, Making the Cut is an exhilarating tale told by a true master of the art. It’s a must-see that should be on everyone’s list.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
