Performing stand-up comedy based on your Jewish family life can be perilous, as Henry Churniavsky found when his 88-year-old mother started heckling him.“She shouted out, ‘Don’t tell them that!’ But I did,” said Henry (right), who will host Stapely Care’s first comedy event when the Liverpool comic performs his show 3 (Not So Wise) Men (Work in Progress).
The show will also feature the new double act Scousenuts comprising John Wilson and John Prosser (who also performs with the legendary Lancashire Hot Pots group).This free music and comedy show on 29 January 2023, is part of Henry’s Laugh For Life Comedy series in aid of the Stapely Care and Jami Mental Health Service for Community charity.
After Henry’s successful Edinburgh Fringe 2022 show With All Jew Respect, the influential Edinburgh Review described him as: “An accomplished stand-up comedian, storyteller, and philosopher with a cheeky grin.”
Henry said: “I started doing stand-up about eight years ago after completing a Radio City Comedy Course and John Wilson of the Scousenuts (left) asked if I wanted to join him on an open-mic night. From there we progressed to the Edinburgh Fringe and will appear at Leicester Comedy Festival next year.
“My Edinburgh Fringe show With All Jew Respect is about being ‘Jewrotic’ (as in Jewish and neurotic) with stories from growing up to getting old. I use a lot of family anecdotes and my mother keeps claiming ‘I didn’t do that’, but of course she did.
“My book, of the same title, is a history of Jewish stand-up comedians from Marx (as in Groucho not Karl) to Seinfeld with a collection of some old Jewish jokes and including some of my stand-up routine. It’s available on Amazon with profits going to mental health charities.”
“I love performing. My day job is selling drugs – by which I mean that I’m a key account manager for a pharmaceutical company.
Philip Ettinger, Stapely Care Trustee, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Henry to launch Stapely Care’s first comedy show. I hope it will be the first of many such events and demonstrates the wealth of experiences and events we are busy creating at Stapely Care.”
The performance which is at 3-4.30pm, 29 January 2023 takes place at Stapely Care Coffee Lounge, North Mossley Hill Road, Liverpool, L18 8BR.
There will be a collection in aid of Stapley Care and Jami. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance from Henry at tel: 07595 692 016; or email: henry.churney@btinternet.com .