‘An earnest attempt at communal healing’

“What does it mean to be a survivor?”

I’m interviewing 29-year-old comedian Jacob Sacher, and it’s not going well.

To the above, he offers a simple – unsatisfactory – response: “That’s the fundamental question of the show”.

I try a different angle.

“To what extent is the show based on your lived experience of abuse?”

Sacher does not budge. “That’s the big question. That’s what the show is about,” he answered.

No doubt sensing the distress in my voice, Sacher offers slightly more context: “A lot of shows about trauma really discuss trauma. It’s like the ticket to entry is telling the audience exactly what happened. I’m questioning to what extent the artist needs to share with the audience their trauma in order to be able to talk about these topics.”

We’re discussing Promising Young Mensch, Sacher’s latest comedy show set to premiere at the Sydney Fringe Festival next week – coincidentally on his 30^th birthday – before moving onto his Melbourne hometown in October.

Told from the perspective of his 13-year-old alter ego, the 50-minute show reflects on Sacher’s ultra-Orthodox upbringing at a time when the Jewish community was reckoning with painful revelations surrounding the trial and conviction of principal Malka Leifer and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how a religious outlook in childhood affects you in adulthood,” said Sacher, who remains connected to Judaism but not in a strictly religious sense.

“Being Jewish when I was growing up changed in the wake of the Royal Commission. That changed the way we were seen, and I went to Yeshiva College, the school in the heart of the storm. It made me question to what extent I wanted to be part of the patriarchal makeup of the Jewish community.

“I think when we talk about child sexual abuse, often people think that only happens in the church, that doesn’t happen to us. When the Royal Commission happened, there was a reckoning in the Jewish community.

“I can’t avoid being Jewish. A big part of my show is that my body is Jewish – I’ve got a circumcision – but I’ve now got a foot out of the ultra-Orthodox squad. It is a comedy about trauma.”

Such themes don’t often pair easily with humour, but Sacher found inspiration in comedians including Hannah Gadsby (Nanette) and Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) who have successfully used their comedic skills and platform to deconstruct their trauma.

Even the name Promising Young Mensch is a nod to Emerald Fennell's highly-acclaimed movie, Promising Young Woman, a black comedy and thriller that unpacks rape and revenge.

Sacher first started in the comedy scene a decade ago, and in that time has practiced across multiple forms including stand-up, sketch, improvisation and modern clowning. He has toured his unique brand of comedy around the country, as well as in New Zealand and America.

Sacher also chairs Melbourne’s non-profit Cornershop Comedy Theatre, and is currently undertaking a master’s degree in Jewish comedy at Monash's Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, with the aim of continuing onto a PhD.

Leaning into his experience, Sacher describes Promising Young Mensch as both an “alternative" and "explicitly Jewish" comedy show, which means it involves all types of comedy and responds to the experience of being Jewish in the wider world.

While Promising Young Mensch comes with a strict content warning and recommendation for audiences to be aged 15 and up, Sacher never considered an alternative method of delivery to share his experiences.

“Let's take a question like, who counts as a survivor or how do we break the cycle of abuse, for instance. If I was a journalist, I’d write a news article about it. If I was a rabbi, I’d give a sermon. If I was an author, I'd write a book. But I’m a comedian. These are the questions that have been on my mind and so I will answer them through the medium of comedy.”

Sacher says the show is “an earnest attempt at communal healing” and hopes audiences leave with some introspection.

“I am presenting a story. I am sharing my healing to heal the community. To what extent will people connect or resonate with it? To what extent will it be successful? I don’t know.

“I don’t think this is going to fix the discourse, but hopefully people who see the show will understand themselves a bit better.”

As the interview reaches a conclusion, I brace myself for Sacher’s reply to my final question.

“How long has this show been in the works?”

His response: “The wanky answer is the show has been brewing for 29, almost 30 years – and the show does open with a real discussion of circumcision. But in a smaller sense, it’s been an everyday endeavour since the start of this year.”

Promising Young Mensch is playing at the Sydney Fringe Festival from 3 to 7 September 2024 and Melbourne Fringe from 2 to 6 October 2024. Find out more information and book tickets online.