Southwark Playhouse. - Calcutta Kosher

First published in 2004 by Oberon Books Ltd
Electronic edition published in 2013 Oberon Books Ltd
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www.oberonbooks.com Reprinted in a new edition in 2004 Copyright Shelley Silas 2004 Shelley Silas is hereby identified as author of these works in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted her moral rights. All rights whatsoever in these plays are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before commencement of rehearsal to United Agents, 12-26 Lexington Street, London W1F 0LE (). No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the play without the authors prior written consent. You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. PB ISBN: 978-1-84002-454-8
E ISBN: 978-1-7831-9399-8 Cover design: Luke Wakeman eBook conversion by Replika Press PVT Ltd, India. Visit www.oberonbooks.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that youre always first to hear about our new releases.

Calcutta Kosherby Shelley SilasCast in alphabetical order

Maki	Seema Bowri
Silvie	Shelley King
Mozelle	Jamila Massey
Esther	Harvey Virdi

With special guest appearance by Madhav Sharma as Siddique Creative team

Director	Janet Steel
Designer	Magdalen Rubalcava
Composer	Sayan Kent
Lighting Designer	Flick Ansell
Assistant Lighting Designer	Chris Pye
Assistant Director	Poonam Brah
Company Stage Manager	Nicci Burton
Graphic Design	Luke Wakeman
Set built by	Hedgehog Construction

Calcutta Kosher was first produced by Kali Theatre Company in association with Tara Arts at Southwark Playhouse on 4th February 2004, with the following cast:

Maki	Seema Bowri
Silvie	Shelley King
Mozelle	Jamila Massey
Siddique	Richard Santhiri
Esther	Harvey Virdi

THE JEWS OF INDIA It is probably easier to say what Indian Jews are not, rather than what they are; they are not the Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jews) of most British and American popular culture, they are neither part of the Raj, nor Anglo Indians.

They are a culture unique both to India and to international Jewry. The first records of Jews in India date back to 175BC. Some came to India from Spain during the thirteenth century, others from Portugal and Holland in the sixteenth century. A further group arrived direct from Persia, bypassing Europe altogether. For many, the spice business was a huge attraction, and so they came to India to trade. Three major Jewish communities were established in Calcutta, Bombay and Cochin.

In 1788, at the age of twenty six, Shalom Aaron Hakohen, a descendant of an exile from the Spanish Inquisition, left his birth place of Aleppo, and headed for Basra, then Baghdad, eventually sailing from Bombay to Surat in 1790. He traded in indigo, ivory and coffee among other goods. In 1798 he settled in Calcutta establishing the first Baghdadi Jewish community in India. He was followed by about 2,000 Sephardi Jews, mostly from Baghdad and Aleppo. Unlike European Jewry, the Jews in India were never oppressed. At a time when anti-Semitism was on the rise in the rest of the world, India was one of the few countries which was not anti-Semitic, allowing Jews to live freely and follow their own customs without worry of antagonism.

Today, there are as few as thirty Indian Jews living in Calcutta. Shelley Silas For Mum and Dad for giving me the best memories and the most delicious food. Thanks to Kali Theatre, Tara Arts, Oberon, Stella Duffy, Katie Haines, Fen Watkinson, Helen Cross, Ben Payne, Michael Ezra, Cheryl Isaac, Ian Zach, Shosh and Albert Silas, Trixie Twena, Jack Bradley, Cheryl Robson, Richard Santhiri, Julia Swift, Evie Garratt, Zita Sattar, Chandana Banerjee, Nicola Burton, Sonja Appel and Janet Steel for her tenacity. And to my grandparents, Molly and Sunny, Lily and Isaac.

MOZELLE MAKI ESTHER SILVIE SIDDIQUE October. Late afternoon in the ground floor room of a crumbling Calcutta house.

A brass ceiling fan remains stationary throughout the play. A couple of pieces of old furniture including some morahs are placed around the room. A brand new Apple laptop is open on the table. There are a few cardboard boxes in the room. Doors at the back of the stage lead to a veranda. Just visible outside is the stump of a tree.

There is a large black and white photo of the Victoria Memorial on the back wall with a few family photos. As the lights come up, MOZELLE lies back in a wicker day chair, a blanket half covering her. She wears an old dress and several gaudy necklaces and three gold churies (bangles) on her wrist. By her side is SIDDIQUE, her servant. MAKI enters with a glass of water and a bottle of pills, which she gives to SIDDIQUE. MAKI is small and attractive, wears a pair of jeans, T-shirt and chappals.

SIDDIQUE gives MOZELLE the pills and exits. MAKI starts to tidy the room. MOZELLE: Come, come Maki. Stop doing that and come here. MAKI stops tidying and sits on the bed beside MOZELLE. MOZELLE takes her hand and strokes it.

MAKI: That tickles. MOZELLE: You used to like it. MAKI: I still do, but it tickles. MOZELLE: What soft skin you have. MAKI: All the better to stroke. MOZELLE: Lurki lok kiderhai? (Where are the girls?) MAKI: On their way.

I must tidy up before they arrive. Theyll think we live like pigs. Which of course we dont. MOZELLE: I dont think Ive ever had pig. Have I? MAKI: I dont know. Im a Jew. Im a Jew.

Pig is forbidden. MOZELLEs breathing is laboured. Soon well all be together. MAKI: Youre getting too excited. Calm down. Slowly. Beat. Beat.