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November 3, 2024
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Comedian Ashley Blaker Returns to New York With ‘Goy Friendly’

(Courtesy of Ashley Blaker) Ashley Blaker, the UK’s internationally acclaimed Jewish stand-up comedian, is returning to the United States with a hilarious and thought-provoking new Off-Broadway show this winter—and this time it’s not just for the Jews.

“Ashley Blaker: Goy Friendly” tells the story of how Ashley’s close friendship with a Muslim completely changed his life, and will have a limited-engagement run Monday, February 3-Sunday, February 23 at SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam Street).

Ashley Blaker has already conquered the Jewish world. He has performed on five continents, including tours of the UK, USA, Israel, South Africa and Australia. His previous Off-Broadway show, “Ashley Blaker: Strictly Unorthodox,” ran for five weeks at the Theater Center and was called “a slickly funny stand-up show” by the New York Times. He is now returning to New York to perform a new show that isn’t just for his large Jewish fan base, but, for the first time in the U.S., is truly goy friendly.

With anti-Semitism on the rise across the globe, and with some of the most recent instances unfolding in New York and New Jersey, “Ashley Blaker: Goy Friendly” is a timely show, using humor to break down walls and demystify Judaism to the outside world. Blaker says, “This show is about Jewish life, its beauty, its intricacies and absurdities, what divides us and most importantly what unites us—to each other and the wider world. The show aims to make the audience laugh but also for the audience to understand a little bit about why we do what we do.”

In “Ashley Blaker: Goy Friendly,” Blaker explains how the way he saw his life was completely changed by his friendship with an Islamic comedian named Imran Yusuf. His Muslim friend wanted him to explain Judaism and, having initially struggled to do it, Blaker developed a new Ten Commandments for the 21st century. In the show, Blaker goes through his new commandments and covers everything from the bizarre world of kosher restaurants to the almost biblical requirement to develop obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Since last performing Off-Broadway, Blaker has made his debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a sold-out run of his show “Observant Jew.” He is the also first Orthodox Jewish comedian to be given his own BBC show—“Ashley Blaker’s Goyish Guide to Judaism”—which returned in October 2019 to rave reviews. Blaker has been featured on PBS News Hour, CBS and Fox News; in the New York Times, New York Post, Financial Times, Jerusalem Post and Süddeutsche Zeitung; and in Jewish newspapers all across the world. In October 2019, Blaker also produced the triumphant return of the comedy phenomenon “Little Britain” after a 12-year hiatus. As an award-winning comedy writer and producer, he has worked with a who’s who of British comedy.

The production is directed by Matt Roper, lighting design is by Brandon Bogle, wardrobe is by Summer Hyde, Kari Adams is the production consultant and Darren Lee Cole is the artistic director of SoHo Playhouse.

Matt Roper (director) has toured internationally, in addition to presenting three feature-length shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and beyond. He has performed leading roles in the Off-Broadway productions “I’ll Say She Is: The Lost Marx Brothers Musical” at the Connelly Theater and “Jack and The Beanstalk” at the Abrons Arts Center. Roper performs regularly at the Coney Island Sideshow Theater, Lincoln Center and the House of Yes but his most enduring relationship is with the Slipper Room, where he performs late night under the guise of his powerhouse alter-ego Wilfredo. As Wilfredo, Roper presented three solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe: “Wilfredo: Erecto!” (2011), “The Wonderful World of Wilfredo” (2012) and “Wilfredo: Deconstructed” (2014). www.mrmattroper.com

Steve Hall (script executive) is a writer and comedian. He has been a regular writer on “The Russell Howard Hour” and “Russell Howard’s Good News.” In 2017, he supported Howard on his international tour “Round the World.” Hall’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows include a sell-out run of “Zebra.” Hall was also one-third of critically lauded sketch group We Are Klang and wrote and starred in the group’s sitcom series for BBC TV. We Are Klang were nominated for the Perrier Award for Best Show in 2006, and the Barry Award at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2007. www.twitter.com/astevehall

Matt Lucas (producer) is an actor, writer and comedian who first came to prominence in BBC Two’s “Shooting Stars.” Together with David Walliams, he wrote and performed the smash hit series “Little Britain.” The three BBC series and two Christmas specials won nearly every award for which they were nominated, including three BAFTAs. “Little Britain Live” was one of the world’s largest comedy tours ever and ran for over two years in the UK and Australia. This was followed by “Little Britain USA” for HBO and “Come Fly With Me” for BBC One. Lucas has also starred in many TV series including “The Matt Lucas Awards,” “Pompidou,” “Doctor Who,” “Portlandia,” “Community” and “Fresh Off The Boat,” and in films including “Alice in Wonderland,” “Paddington,” “Bridesmaids” and “How to Talk to Girls at Parties.” On stage Lucas has performed in “Les Miserables,” “Me and My Girl” and “Taboo.”

Performances of “Ashley Blaker: Goy Friendly” are on Mondays-Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. There is also an additional Saturday night performance on February 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at https://www.sohoplayhouse.com/ashley-blaker-goy-friendly.

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