Acclaimed theater and film producer Sir Nicholas Hytner has raised concerns about the unsettling “loyalty tests” young Jewish professionals in the theater industry are subjected to regarding their views on Israel.
Speaking at the Jewish Labour Movement’s annual conference in north London, Hytner shared his observations in a discussion with JW3 chief executive Raymond Simonson.
The former artistic director of London’s National Theatre, Hytner, 68, reflected on his own experiences as a Jewish theater professional. Having grown up in a “typical Jewish, cultured family” in south Manchester, he explained that his status and reputation within the industry have shielded him from such scrutiny.
“I’m often asked what it’s like being a Jewish theater worker at the moment,” he said. “Personally, I don’t know, for not particularly reputable reasons. Because I am who I am, nobody would dare do to me… I’m sorry, I’m just being honest.”
Hytner pointed out that younger Jewish professionals face a different reality. “What I know they do to younger Jews in the theatre is ask them where they stand [on Israel]. That’s the thing that really unsettles young Jewish theatre workers. ‘Where do you stand?’ The loyalty test.”
Hytner, a Tony and Olivier Award-winning director, also noted troubling dynamics at institutions such as London’s Royal Court Theatre, which has faced allegations of antisemitism. “Around there, quite a lot of the people demand the loyalty test,” he remarked.
* Ynet contributed to this article.
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