Terezin Concentration Camp is an utterly fascinating story; built in the Czech Republic, it was inspected by the Red Cross, and during the visit the Nazis turned the camp into a holiday resort replete with a football match between the guards and the prisoners, an orchestra, gardens, and a shaving and shower room where none of the taps were connected to plumbing. Equally fascinating is this play’s origin, discussed by the writer as a prologue. Having discovered a letter at the camp, the play is built around the story of the girl who wrote it, a teenager called Miriam whose letter insists that its story be told to everyone in her wake.It is a startling piece at times, using the letter and also the testimony of one of the girls in the same building to construct a short play performed by children of the same age as the characters. The sight of children, some very small and adorable, being stuck in Terezin is enough to bring a tear to any eye.The piece is bare, with a simple but effective set and equally effective costumes that put across the image of a concentration camp building well. There are also some absolutely wonderful performances from some of the older cast members who have to translate incredibly complex emotions and events into a way for a child-heavy audience to understand, and they achieved it wonderfully.However, the script often lets them down. Whilst at times beautiful and charming there is often the horrid feeling of the cast having to fight against inauthentic dialogue. The younger cast members understandably also sometimes lack the depth to play scenes which can get quite dark and emotional. However, it is a piece well worth seeing if you can.
