'Kindness' - A Thought-Provoking Play at the Bacon Theatre

In time for the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Voices of the Holocaust presented their thought-provoking play ‘Kindness’ at the Bacon Theatre. The theatre company specialises in Holocaust education through a cross-curricular approach by bringing the stories of survivors to life. At this point in time, they have already been able to perform the play to over 35,000 pupils from around 150 schools.

Their current production ‘Kindness’ is a verbatim play based on the testimony of Hungarian survivor Susan Pollack OBE, who was aged only 13 when she was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944. Approximately 80% of the words in the play are taken directly from Susan’s own documented account of her harrowing experiences, making the story feel deeply personal and immediate.

The cast delivered an impressive performance, vividly portraying the unimaginable horrors faced by Susan and the 6 million other Jewish victims, but also the profound importance of human connections and kindness even in the darkest of times.

Inbal Biron showcased Susan’s incredible perseverance and courage to find purpose in life again after surviving the second World War and bringing her story to life.

Olivia Night, Harry Freeman and Christian Peterson portrayed Susan’s mother, brother and father, respectively, depicting pivotal characters in the young girl’s life. The actors transitioned between different roles throughout the play touching on themes such as family, love and friendship.

Following an impressive performance, the actors and creative director held a Q&A session for pupils discussing aspects of the production and the historical context of the Holocaust. The discussion covered topics such as why Jews were specifically targeted by the Nazis, how many people survived the war, and the motivations behind creating plays about such a significant chapter in history.

Thank you to the entire crew for enabling our pupils to hear the testimony of survivors and engage with history in such a meaningful and multi-faceted way. Susan Pollack’s story has certainly left a lasting impression and will continue to do so with future generations.