Each Holocaust survivor has a unique and individual story; some of them are hidden stories; those who survived not the camps, but by living silently in tiny, obscure spaces. Timothy Daly’s The Man in the Attic (Eternity Playhouse) is one such true story.
In the last months of World War II when food became the currency of a ruined Germany, the Wife (Danielle King) goes hunting for berries in the woods. She finds a Man (Barry French) half-dead and brings him home. Going through the Man’s wallet, her Husband (Gus Murray) discovers the Man is a Jew. They shelter him in their attic but make him pay his way with his skills as a jeweller and repairer; skills which the Husband uses to develop an extensive black market. So successful is the black-market scheme that when the war is over, they lie to the Man, telling him the Nazis have won and keep him productive in the attic. It cannot last.
A stunning set (Hugh O’Çonnor} evokes a ruined town subjected to constant bombardment. Everyone lives in rubble and smoke haze lingers, reinforcing the sense of a war zone. Rarely is there daylight; this is a murky world of secrets, betrayals, greed and lust and the only hope lies in the stars of the night sky. Fear becomes routine. The most complex and interesting character is that of the Wife. King’s performance draws out all the anomalies. She is at heart, a good, kind woman but war makes an ambivalent mess of her morals. Survival twists her motives. French is excellent as the Man in the Attic; gentle, compassionate, intellectual and grateful despite his terrifying existence. As the opportunist Husband, the casting of a rather comparatively young O’Çonnor sits oddly within the construct of the play. His age plays against the cynicism and pragmatism required of the role. More true to type is the Neighbour (Colleen Cook) but there are lost opportunities for fleshing out the character.
There are wonderful directorial choices by Moira Blumenthal. Nailed shut in the attic, the Man receives supplies and objects to mend via a bucket; which becomes the lifeline and the only means of human touch between him and the Wife. A strange friendship develops between them, almost romantic, born of the circumstances which have thrown them together. She stands at the chimney, talking gently to the Man as he kneels on the floor, replying to her down the same chimney. The “so near but so far “is cleverly realised. Passages of time are subtly but swiftly handled as characters move in and out of the shadows.
Conceptually this is an important story but there are flaws in the structure. Every character delivers narrative directly to the audience – and in the past tense which tends to undermine the dramatic tension and the sense of urgency and despair. Theatrically, it is always preferable to be shown than to be told and there were a few addresses to the audience which, as dialogue and action, would have heightened both the dramatic tension and action. The stumbling blocks are textual and they impose problems on staging and connecting to the audience.
Our world is swarming with refugees, with racism and hate and victim blaming. Cities are in ruins and it seems we too easily forget the past. Perhaps we need timely reminders of the humanity impacted by so much atrocity.
Kate Stratford – On The Town
The Man In The Attic
Timothy Daley
4 -22 July 2018
Sun to Thur 7:30 (except 15/7)
Sun 2pm matinees
Sun 6:30pm n 15/7
Previews Thur 5th 11am & 7:30pm
Venue: Eternity Theatre
Theatre Company: Shalom & Moira Blumenthal Productions
Duration: N/A
Directed by Moria Blumenthal
Supported by Darlinghurst Theatre Company
Today’s ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ have nothing on the lies of the past, when deception and betrayal were used as currency to further one’s fortune.
The Man In The Attic is the incredible, true story of a Jew who is hidden by a German couple during the Holocaust but, when the War ends, is led to believe that the War has been won — by the Nazis. Locked inside their attic for his ‘protection’, the couple continues to profit from his captivity. But as the husband overplays his hand and the wife becomes trapped in a conflict between greed and humanity, the Jew begins to realise that something has changed…
Based on facts uncovered by internationally-acclaimed playwright, Timothy Daly, The Man In The Attic won the prestigious Patrick White Award and continues to play sold-out seasons in France.
Shalom and Moira Blumenthal Productions are thrilled to open ticket sales for the Australian premiere.
Ticket Prices
Adult $54 / Senior $48 / Pensioner $38 / Under 30’s $38 / Group (8+) $35
