Egyptian Jewish story hits the stage in Sydney

A new Australian musical exploring the little-known history of Jewish refugees expelled from Egypt is set to premiere at the inaugural Festival of the Spoken Word in Sydney next month.

One of a Kind, a semi-staged, one-act musical, follows the Rossano family, a wealthy Egyptian Jewish family forced to leave everything behind in 1957 and rebuild their lives in Sydney. Blending Middle Eastern musical traditions with contemporary musical theatre, the work explores themes of identity, migration, resilience and belonging.

Presented by Jewish Arts as part of Shalom Collective’s month-long celebration of Jewish storytelling, the musical will be staged for two performances.

Co-written and co-directed by Judy Campbell and Aaron Robuck, One of a Kind has been more than a decade in development. The work was shaped by extensive research undertaken with the support of the Jewish Arts team, members of Sydney’s Egyptian Jewish community, and Racheline Barda, author of Egyptian-Jewish Emigrés to Australia. Inspired by the lived experiences of Jewish refugees forced to flee Egypt in the 1950s, the musical brings to the Australian stage an emotional story that has never been told through musical theatre.

Campbell said the show aims to raise awareness about the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands, a chapter of history that has rarely been explored on stage.