10,000 children were transported out of Nazi Germany before the war. Yet while this was the awful backdrop for these stories, the focus was on the impact on mother and daughter relationships across the generations.
Arriving at Richmond Theatre, there was a definite buzz amongst the crowd. There were a fair few famous faces and a small army of volunteers wearing Home Guard, military and RAF outfits to set the scene.
Diane Samuels’ play artfully juxtaposes the interactions between pre-war German Jewish mother Helga and her nine year old daughter Eva with those of present day Mancunian grandmother Lil, mother Evelyn and teen daughter Faith. Both mothers are saying goodbye to their daughters – but for very different reasons. Just before the interval we see how these stories intersect and the psychological thrust of the adult legacy of childhood trauma.
There’s also a clever strand of the rat catcher (from the Pied Piper of Hamlyn) stealing children away – whether in a storybook, as an analogy or in reality.
It’s a touching story – with a number of deep themes such as how good intentions can be misconstrued, the eternal challenge of motherhood, how personal tragedies can overshadow those of a nation, that home is where you make it and the source of your identity. I particularly liked the undercurrent of how children can cling on to apparently small and insignificant things – rather than the big picture - and allow them to shape their personas and their whole lives.
The final twist in the story was a good one – and unexpected.
It was a stellar cast with popular actors Janet Dibley as Evelyn and Paula Wilcox as Lil and relative newcomer Gabrielle Dempsey as Eva (tackling the German lines with aplomb) producing powerful performances.
It was easier to watch than I expected. I was utterly engrossed in the story and absorbed by the characters.
Kindertransport plays at Richmond Theatre in Surrey until Saturday 8th February.
http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/kindertransport/richmond-theatre/
http://www.kindertransport.co.uk/
