Photo: Pia JohnsonAbout
Dybbuks was conceived and directed by Samara Hersch, combining mythic stories and traditional Yiddish songs with contemporary composition to present a feminist reimagining of S. Ansky's iconic Dybbuk story.
Through original and traditional text, music, song and image, the work deconstructed ideas of the possessed female body, exposing the complex rite of passage a young girl undergoes to become a woman, and evoking the many ways women across generations continue to embody, preserve and revive the dead—challenging the voicelessness of women across history.
Collaborators
Samara Hersch, Concept & Direction
Max Lyandvert, Composition & Sound Design
Paul Jackson, Lighting and Set Design & Project Dramaturgy
Tamara Saulwick, Sound Dramaturgy
Shio Otani, Costume designer
Yoni Prior, Performer
Lauren Langlois, Performer
Jenny Barnes, Vocals
Carolyn Schofield, Musician - Electronics
Lizzy Welsh, Violin
Aviva Endean, Clarinet
Cathy Hunt, Artistic Associate / Choir Liaison
Tomi Kalinski, Choir Leader
Mary Appel, Choir Member
Sandra Chester, Choir Member
Anna Epstein, Choir Member
Marcia Jacobs, Choir Member
Romi Kupfer, Choir Member
Kathy Laster, Choir member
Rachel Petchesky, Choir Member
Ruth Wein, Choir Member
John Byrne, Production Manager
Vivienne Poznaski, Stage Manager
Steph O'Hara, Sound Operator
Awards
2021 Winner, Music Theatre NOW Awards
Presentation History
2018 Theatre Works, Australia [14-26 August]
Reviews
'Dybbuks is a rare example of genuinely terrifying live performance ... Director Samara Hersch has crafted a visceral, heart-stopping experience that draws on Jewish tradition (and music) to deeply unsettling effect.'
'At the end, after applause that is as much awed as admiring, the space is suddenly quiet but continuing somehow to reverberate. And much of the audience do not leave. Many are not even discussing their feelings with their neighbour. They are simply still, some speechless, their minds, bodies and emotions still resonating with what they have seen and heard. This is, quite literally, an extraordinary work.'
'Dybbuks is deeply perplexing, at times disturbing, but also evocative and alluring.'
'Chamber Made has taken an iconic old-world play (‘The Dybbuk’ 1913, Ansky) and dug under it, deep into the dark, loud and warm female subconscious ... Lauren Langlois is completely breath-taking and terrifying as the spirit-filled Leah.'
' ... a production that teems with contrasts ... and inhabits the outer reaches of experiemental theatre ... Samara Hersch is a bold talent to watch, and set and lighting designer, Paul Jackson, is an alchemist in his own right. From dais to mikveh to grave - the transformations wrought through that simple, but ingenious stage set are a triumph.'
Partners
This project was made possible with support from Chamber Made’s Navigators, Gandel Philanthropy and the Besen Family Foundation.
Dybbuks was supported by Creative Partnerships Australia through Plus1.
The creative development of this project was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. Significant development support was also provided by the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library, Malthouse Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne.















