East 15 Acting School to Stage THE ONLY JEW IN ENGLAND at Queen's Theatre

East 15 Acting School is set to present The Secret History Season at the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch in May. It features two new plays that explore the current issues of sexuality, gender politics, migration and cultural identity through the prism of history.

Playwright Samantha Ellis (Arcola, Birmingham Rep, Hamstead Theatre) tells the extraordinary tale of Dom Marco Raphael, who was supposedly the only Jew in England at the time of Henry VIII, picking his way through a murky world of court intrigue, racism and prejudice. With scintillating wit and piercing compassion The Only Jew in England brings to life a world of music, glamour, flirtation and gripping political tension. Samantha Ellis says,

"I had been wanting to write about the rise in anti-Semitism today, and the fear of difference, and when I heard about Dom Marco I thought I could do that by writing about Tudor England where people had all kinds of wild ideas about Jews, despite the fact that Dom Marco was officially the only Jew to set foot in the country. When I discovered that Henry VIII's court was full of secret Jews - including (possibly) the musicians who formed his reluctant backing band - I got excited about looking at how Jews and other minorities respond to hatred; whether they try to defiantly live loud and proud, or whether they live in disguises of various kinds. So this is a story about racism, a love story, and also a romp and a bodice-ripper set in a Tudor world that is full of difference. It's also full of fear of difference, all set against the backdrop of Henry VIII making his very own Brexit."

The Secret History Season provides a platform for an exciting collaboration between two powerhouses of post-war British theatre that have helped transform the cultural landscape of East London and Essex. For over 50 years, East 15 Acting School has produced actors, directors, theatre practitioners and technicians for the international stage, TV, film and radio and is now one of the largest specialist theatre schools in the UK.

The Only Jew in England runs at the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch from 18 - 20 May. The theatre is offering audiences an amazing opportunity to see two brand new pieces of work at no fixed cost under its new 'pay what you think it's worth scheme.' The theatre asks for a donation to be made at the end of the performance which reflects what they thought of the piece. Please note the production is suitable for people aged 16+.

The second play in this season is Anne Bonny and Mary Read by Ché Walker about the notorious 18th century pirates and cross-dressing lovers. It runs at the theatre from 17 - 20 May.