I did not think there were really any moral aspects of World War Two that had not had a detailed examination, but this new play by David Lan identifies a topic that should give all of us pause for thought. Drawing on the experiences of the writer and activist Gitta Sereny, Lan focuses on the work of UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) at the very end of the war, a time when Germany was filled with displaced persons, whether by war itself, or kidnap for forced labour, or camp incarceration. In particular they faced the huge and often heartbreaking task of deciding the fate and destination of many thousands of children, taken from families in Eastern Europe because of their perceived Aryan characteristics and rehomed with German adoptive parents. Should they remain in Germany, return to countries now occupied by the Soviet Union or be found a future elsewhere?
This dilemma provides the basis for a fine, if overlong drama, anchored around Juliet Stevenson, who, as so often in her career, plays a woman of rare courage and leadership skills facing impossible choices with major consequences for others that mark them and her for the rest of their lives. It is an extraordinary achievement, as she straddles the years between a twenty-year old and the uneasy reflections of later life, and a performance that on its own justifies a visit to the Dorfman.
The play begins slowly, arguably too slowly, as Ruth (Stevenson) is surprised at home many years later in old age by Thomas, one of the relocated children. He wants to understand properly the twists and turns of his past, and gradually, in retrospect, his story and those of many other children adrift are reconstructed. Perhaps Lan attempts too much here in giving one story in detail alongside the broader picture. You sense his need to convey the epic scale of events and how much depended for so many on decisions taken by inexperienced people struggling in impossibly stressful situations; but at points less might have been more across a show that lasts nearly three hours.
That said, though, there are scenes and encounters here that are as powerful as any theatre I have seen this year, and which will resonate long in the memory. This is partly owing to the quality of the performances, and partly to the attention to period detail in Steven Daldry’s production. There is a truly remarkable example of acting by a child from Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, which provides the perfect emotional and dramatic counter-balance to Stevenson. For one so young to embody so plausibly such a spectrum of moods and reactions from defiance and grief through to nuanced, differentiated engagement with all the other characters is astonishing. As the adult Thomas, Tom Wlaschiha has a more reactive and recessed role to play; but he makes the most of this slow burn part, and more than earns his scenes of vindication at the end. In a large cast, who take on many different roles, there are no weaknesses and many moments of crystallised insight.
Miriam Buether’s set is a huge traverse, with acres of space between a modern kitchen and living room at one end and a period library with piano and bookshelves at the other. In some ways this works well in emphasising the distance covered in the evening between 1945 and 1990, and it also gives sufficient space for action scenes, including an exceptional recreation of a train journey across Germany done just with blankets, wooden forms and a soundscape. But the sheer scale of the structure sometimes diminishes the impact of more intimate moments. Lighting and sound design are deftly done by James Farncombe and Gareth Fry with the voices of the other children, heard but never seen, a particularly disconcerting feature piped in from different parts of the auditorium.
This is a self-consciously serious play, presented with meticulous care by all concerned. That is not to say that there are not moments of joy, humour and charm as well, but we are intended to leave with difficult questions to ponder. There are too few plays at present that do this, and while each act could be shortened to advantage it is a drama we all ought to see.
Writer: David Lan
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast includes: Kate Duchene, Michael Fox, Michael Marcus, Juliet Stevenson, Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, Tom Wlaschiha
2 hrs 45 mins with interval
Until 1 November 2025
Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan