Rosenbaum's Rescue

A new play by A Bodin Saphir set in Denmark in 2001 but looking back at an incident in the Second World War when seven and a half thousand Jews were spirited out of Denmark to Sweden under the very noses of the Nazi occupiers. Was it a genuine God-given miracle or did the occupiers turn a blind eye in the interests of civil calm? Truth, myth or it doesn't matter? This is essentially a play not about this historical incident but about truth, lies and untold secrets within families and between generations and friends. Lars is a seeker of truth, whatever the outcome may be, Abraham is a believer in divine interventio - both can see the "truth" in their own interpretations of the history, and their part in it.

A well constructed and paced production I was still left a little detached at the end for some reason. David Bamber's Abraham is well rounded but he rarely looks another actor in the eye, this may have been directed but it is unnerving and stands in the way of us being fully drawn in. Neil McCaul's Lars is an angry man, credibly given though a little uncertain in his final anger. Dorothea Myer-Bennet, as Abraham's wife and master (!) is warm and believable, she is responsible for a lot of the shaping in the play and keeps the pace as well as the peace. Finally Julia Swift as Lars' daughter, a completely credible performance, tricky as a lot of the time her role is to provide the "I didn't know that, please tell me more" role that allows the underlying historical story to be conveyed.

A good evening's entertainment, most enjoyable