Entertaining the Nation

An exhibition telling the story of Jewish participation in the British entertainment industry. Featured are popular names past and present, including actors Maureen Lipman, Warren Mitchell, Sid James and Ron Moody, comedians Peter Sellers, Simon Amstell and Sacha Baron Cohen, musicians Frankie Vaughan, Alma Cogan, Mark Bolan and Amy Winehouse, writers Jack Rosenthal, Harold Pinter and Stephen Poliakoff, and director Mike Leigh. Through them, the exhibition looks at the representation of Jews in popular culture and analyses the changing nature of Jewish depiction on stage and screen. How Jewish people have influenced the business of entertainment is examined through the stories of Oscar Deutsch, who founded Odeon cinemas, Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles, and others. The show features clips from films and performances, alongside costumes, props, vintage photographs and posters, and is accompanied by a programme of events including film seasons, comedy nights, gigs, plays, and talks.