Yankl and the Beanstalk brings Jewish pantomime to the Chutzpah! Festival, November 14 and 15
Hilarious production is bursting with outrageous innuendos and queer chaos
SPONSORED POST BY Chutzpah! Festival
Demii Lee Walker (front) and Nay Oliver Murphy in Yankl and the Beanstalk. Photo by Lucy Hayes
The Chutzpah! Festival is presenting Yankl and the Beanstalk, the hilariously queer Jewish panto, at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 14 for adult audiences and November 15 for all ages.
Yankl and the Beanstalk takes audiences to the Jewish immigrant communities of East London in the 1890s, into the Daisy Pickle workshop. Protagonist Yankl finds himself in a bit of a pickle when his cousin Milly wants them to go on strike against the greedy Lady Mayfair and the Giant. With his Bar Mitzvah just days away, Yankl needs to work on his parasha, help his cousin try to improve their working conditions, and not get in a pickle, all while his lustful mother is looking for someone new to date.
With the help of some magic beans, a pickle fairy, popular songs—including a rousing Yiddish rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody”—and a scandalous amount of camp, this duo will find a way to stop the Giant and seize the means of production. Audiences can expect outrageous innuendos, queer chaos, labour politics, and enough pickle-based double entendres to make folks blush.
Nay Oliver Murphy in Yankl and the Beanstalk. Photo by Lucy Hayes
Yankl and the Beanstalk will run twice at the 2026 Chutzpah! Festival. The show on November 14 at 7:30 pm is for adults only, and contains mature content and explicit language. The family-friendly show on November 15 at 3 pm is particularly recommended for younger audiences, Jewish youth groups, and young theatre-goers. The PG/Kosher version retains the same joyous panto spirit as its mature counterpart—laughs are guaranteed for the whole family.
Back in 2022, Tamara Micner introduced Chutzpah! audiences to her new piece, Yankl and Der Beanstalk, as a workshop presentation. Now that the show is complete, Chutzpah! is once again presenting Micner and her team, led by director Laura Wohlwend. Cast members for Canada include Nay Oliver Murphy, Ann Marcuson, India Lewis, Demii Lee Walker, and Katie Shalka.
Yankl and the Beanstalk is sponsored by The Hamber Foundation and the Beech Foundation. The show is presented in English and sprinkled with Yiddish.
Tickets to both performances and more details are available through the Chutzpah! Festival.
Post sponsored by Chutzpah! Festival.
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