JW3's Barmy Mitzvah
JW3's Barmy Mitzvah had its premier outing at JW3's B'Mitzvah Party in June 2026. A brand-new street theatre show commissioned by JW3 to mark our 13th birthday.
Created by writer Nick Cassenbaum (Revenge After the Levoyah, Bubble Schmeisis and JW3's Jewish pantomimes) and director Orit Azaz (NoFit State Circus, Imagineer Productions), the show combined theatre, circus, clowning and live music in a joyful celebration of one of the best-known moments in Jewish life.
Over 30 fast-paced and delightfully chaotic minutes, audiences met a cast of familiar characters: over-proud parents, an enthusiastic rabbi, an over-the-top party planner and the sort of relatives that every family seems to have. With audience participation woven throughout, children and adults alike found themselves laughing, clapping and even joining in.
At its heart, The Barmy Mitzvah celebrated everything that makes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah memorable: the excitement, the nerves, the family, the community and, of course, the moments that don't quite go to plan. It was unmistakably Jewish in its humour and heart, while remaining accessible to everyone, whether they had celebrated a Bar or Bat Mitzvah themselves or were discovering the tradition for the first time.
The premiere at JW3 was just the beginning. Following the B'Mitzvah Party, the production toured local schools, bringing its joyful mix of comedy, music and storytelling to hundreds more young people across London.
