What determines our identity - who we were, who we have become, or what has
come before us?
Kindertransport tells the story of Eva, evacuated from
Germany in 1939 to live with Lil Miller. She now has a child of her own and
a new name, Evelyn, and whilst all the signs of change are present - a
shining gold cross hanging where a Star of David should, a name change, a
different accent - her past is not forgotten, but stored in the attic where
her daughter, the aptly named Faith, discovers the hidden truths of her
mother's origins.
Diane Samuels' play is a carefully crafted and beautifully
written piece of modern theatre. Unfortunately, this production does not
quite capture its quality. The play demands the creation of several
different locations and time periods - Germany in 1939, London in the 1980s,
train carriages and platforms - and the small Burton Taylor stage isn't
really suitable for such a variety of setting. Direction of the actors
seemed to be minimal, with little or no character development evident.
Evelyn is a woman tortured by the conflict of her identity, forced to fit
into another life after she is torn from her mother when, as she finally
admits, she would rather have died with her. She is detached, failing to
come to terms with the guilt that she feels for having let go of her past,
and yet simultaneously determined that she should make up for what she sees
as her own mother's mistakes in letting her go. The Evelyn we are faced with
on stage shows no sign of this affecting her, and, like the other main
characters Faith and Lil, gives a performance that seems to be only of face
value. Helen Prichard, as Eva, has the difficult task of showing the
development of her character across time and culture, and this she does
well. She stands out among the cast as having a grasp on the subtleties of
Samuels' writing, and the importance of these to the central idea of
identity within the play.
Whilst there are good moments within this performance, with such good
material to work with, it is a shame that Oxford's Kindertransport is
not a little better.
Hanna Johnson, 2/11/04 |
