12:37

(Paperback)

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Description

Does Tommy know you're Jewish Tommy knows I'm Irish. At 12:37pm on 22 July 1946, the King David Hotel in Jerusalem was bombed. 91 people were killed, 46 wounded. The bombing was carried out by right-wing Zionists, targeting the headquarters of the British in Palestine. Two Irish Jewish brothers, Paul and Cecil Green, journey from their Dublin birthplace to battle antisemitism on the streets of East London. Their Irish nationalism propels them towards Jewish nationalism as they struggle against British Imperialism to form a Jewish nation state. As violence between British soldiers and Jewish terrorists erupts, Paul and Cecil become involved in an act of terrorism that changes both their lives. 12:37 raises complex and controversial questions around Jewish violence, homeland and national identity in a stunning new play that is both a hard-hitting historical epic and an intimate family drama. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at the Finborough Theatre, London, in November 2022.

Author Bio

Julia Pascal's plays are edgy personal and political dramas often connected to Jewish culture and history. From British collaboration with the Nazis on the Channel Islands to current Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, they explore the complexity of the most highly-charged conflicts of our age. These texts range from dance-theatre Expressionism to naturalism and often offer roles to women which challenge stereotypes. Pascal's plays have an international dimension: Year Zero is set in Vichy France. St Joan in London and Paris. The Dybbuk takes place in Eastern European ghetto. Crossing Jerusalem is 24 hours in the life of a Jerusalem family. Honeypot is a spy story situated in Stockholm and Paris. Styles range from cabaret to thriller, and there is always sharp dialogue that is darkly funny as well as disturbing. The plays have been staged in the UK, the USA, Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden.