History brought back to real life
Wednesday 2nd July 2008, 11:45AM BST.
The Diary of Petr Ginz,
Shrewsbury School
The latest Shrewsbury School play premiere is a remarkable confluence of two news stories that took place 60 years apart – one of which was completely covered up, the other seen on every television on the planet.
When the Columbia space shuttle burnt up on re-entry, Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon had in his pocket an inspirational drawing of the earth – as seen from the moon – created by a 14-year-old Jewish victim of a Hitler death camp.
The 2003 newscasts led directly to the discovery of the boy’s diary in a Prague attic.
Schoolmaster Alex Went has now taken “The Diary of Petr Ginz” and created a dark, hour-long drama from its pages.
This play has all the qualities of purist East European theatre. Short, tightly written scenes, low-level lighting, deeply symbolic verbal images and physical gestures.
The teenager’s words are very moving. Put these words into the mouths of modern-day teenagers and the effect spirals.
Charlie Withers was powerful beyond his years at Petr.
Freddie Ellery, Jack Flowers and Emma Coombs gave him sensitively studied family support, while Lucy Rand’s portrayal of his tormented mother was both delicate and heartbreaking.
The Diary of Petr Ginz runs at the Ashton Theatre until tomorrow.
Review by Chris Eldon Lee
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