UV GCSE performance of Kindertransport
The UV GCSE performance of Kindertransport by Diane Samuels was a moving and poignant portrayal of a young German girl, Eva, who was sent from her home in Hamburg in 1938 to be fostered in Manchester by Lil Miller. The Kindertransports saved over 10,000 Jewish children before the outbreak of World War Two. The play followed Eva's story through three points in her life, the initial separation from her parents, a reunion with her mother, Helga, ten years later, and the discovery of her true past by her own daughter, Faith.
Emily, as Helga, was stoic and dignified in her grief as she tried to remain positive in the face of every mother's worst nightmare. Adele played the part of Eva/Evelyn with great poise and she should be congratulated for her wonderful German accent, and later for her convincing Mancunian lilt. Fiona, as Lil Miller, provided much needed comic relief and her gruff love for Eva made her extremely likeable. Charlie played the part of Faith excellently. The audience all had the sense that Evelyn had somehow betrayed her daughter by not telling her of her connection with the holocaust.
The use of a split stage was ingenious as it provided a window into both the past and present and it meant that whilst Eva tried to separate her German and English lives, they were actually intertwined.There was very successful use of lighting and special effects, for example when Eva's mother told her about her father's death in the gas chambers, smoke was eerily produced from behind the block she stood on. This helped to remind us of the reality of the Nazi occupation and how brutal and inhumane the concentration camps were. Also, whilst the actresses were delivering their individual speeches a spotlight was trained on them, which gave the impression of a searchlight, as if they were being tried or tested.
Each of the four actresses must be congratulated for their mature and touching portrayals of each of the characters; it was extremely poignant and they had the audience completely in their grasp. A thank you and congratulations must also go to Mrs Howe who has worked tirelessly with the girls to produce perfection.
Olivia, LVI
