REVIEW: Tom Lehrer is Teaching Math and Doesn’t Want to Talk to You – Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Hot on the heels of last week’s conference on the future of Jewish Theatre and Jewish musicals comes Tom Lehrer is Teaching Math and Doesn’t Want to Talk to You.

Playing at Upstairs at the Gatehouse Theatre in Highgate, this play, about the American Jewish songwriter, maths prodigy and polymath Tom Lehrer, stars three performers, two of whom are Jewish – Shahaf Ifhar, who trained at Tel Aviv Musical Theatre Academy, and pianist and musical director Harry Style. No, not the Harry Styles, this is Harry Style (singular) but nonetheless a talented pianist who accompanies Shahaf in the 25 musical numbers.

A biographical story, the one hour 45 mins play tries to unravel the reasons why the hugely talented Lehrer seemed, for no apparent reason, to suddenly fall off the radar. What happened to him and why did he turn his back on the rewards that fame and fortune could bring, to live in relative obscurity? Nabilah Hamid plays a journalist who visits Lehrer in an attempt to solve this mystery.

Written by prolific playwright Francis Beckett (not to be confused with Samuel Beckett) this is Beckett’s third play to open above the Gatehouse, and the venue is now the home for his performances.

Lehrer, now 96 and living in Massachusetts, still has a tremendous following, so much so that tickets for this run all sold out before the play’s first night on Tuesday evening. The audience members, comprising primarily lovers of Tom Lehrer’s witty and irreverent songs, were in their element, relishing this whistlestop trip through the canon of Lehrer’s work. Shahaf Ifhar’s faithful rendition of all the favourite Lehrer numbers, including The Vatican Rag and Hanukkah in Santa Monica, had the audience singing along.

The run is sold out but, if you are a Tom Lehrer fan and want to see this show, you may be able to join the waiting list for a return ticket.

Tom Lehrer is Teaching Math and Doesn’t Want to Talk to You is at Upstairs at the Gatehouse 28 May-9 June 2024. Read more about the play here.