Details

Between 2004 and 2008, lecturer and academic Dr Lisa Peschel conducted interviews with more than 70 survivors of the notorious Theresienstadt Ghetto (in Czech, Terez?n), leading to the discovery of some of the most revealing theatrical works from the Second World War. Providing a unique insight into both the experiences of those living in the ghetto and their lives preceding their imprisonment, her recently published collection of plays includes 11 previously unknown texts ranging from cabarets and puppet plays to verse dramas, several of which will be performed in London for the first time this February. Divided into two acts, this staging opens with Laugh With Us, which sees UCL students perform extracts of songs and scenes from a full length cabaret of the same name alongside a selection of other comic works. Comedy and cabaret, which constitutes a surprising number of the works discovered, reveals how theatrical techniques were used to ?normalize' conditions of the ghetto, attempting to make its structures appear less threatening to those imprisoned there. The second act The Smoke of Home, performed by University of York students, is a one-act historical allegory, set in the Thirty Years' War, that confronts the question: if we survive, will we be able to return to the home we knew? Dr. Peschel and Professor Michael Berkowitz, Professor of Modern Jewish History AT UCL, will introduce the performances. Running time: 2hrs. Suitable for ages 12+.

Cast/Performers

Roisa Anne (Laugh with Us), Grace Arnolds (Laugh with Us), Tim Frith (Laugh with Us), Hayden Munt (Laugh with Us), Charlotte Nohavicka (Laugh with Us), Charlotte Peitzmeier (Laugh with Us), Sam Hill (The Smoke of Home), Matthew Roberts (The Smoke of Home), Jason Ryall (The Smoke of Home), Sophie Mann (The Smoke of Home), Matthew Roberts (The Smoke of Home), Jason Ryall (The Smoke of Home), Josh Welch (The Smoke of Home)

Creatives/Company

Presented by(s): UCL, The University of York (in association with the Bloomsbury Theatre)
Director(s): Leo Doulton (Laugh with Us), Joe Lichtenstein (The Smoke of Home)