Kindness: A Legacy of the Holocaust is a stunning, verbatim play that has been touring since Covid allowed. This play, co-authored by verbatim specialist, Mark Wheeller, with Voices’ founder, Cate Hollis, is based on the testimony of Hungarian, Susan Pollack OBE, who was aged only 13 when she was sent to the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau in the summer of 1944.
Interwoven are a number of complementary narratives, including that of Mala Zimetbaum and Edek Galinski whose stunning love story and spiritual resistance is painted across a backdrop of one of the darkest periods in human history.

Told through Voices’ classic techniques, you cannot fail to be moved by this ‘beautiful and empowering’ play. The performance will be followed by a post-performance panel discussion with the actors and members of the company including Artistic Director, Cate Hollis.

“The play, and the story it was inspired by, are incredibly powerful and moving. Kindness presents poignantly the unimaginably difficult reality of those cruelly persecuted by Nazi Germany, while also demonstrating that love and spiritual resistance can drive us no matter the situation that we face. It will stay with me for a long time and will no doubt serve as a lesson and a warning to future generations, so that a tragedy like the Holocaust never happens again.” Agnieszka Kowalska, Charge d’affaires a.i. Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London

“I’m overwhelmed with this wonderful play you have created. The actors were just fabulous and your direction is just remarkable. You made it so real and so convincing and so full of hope and full of everything I can think of. It’s wonderful. I don’t know how to thank you. It will be so successful. It will have a long, long life and do wonderful and important work. Thank you very much.” Susan Pollack OBE

“Depicting the Holocaust on stage can be incredibly challenging and it often goes wrong in spite of good intentions. With its production Kindness, Voices of the Holocaust has done a remarkable job bringing Susan Pollack’s unforgettable personal story to new audiences with sensitivity and emotion while also never veering from historical facts and complexities. It is quite an accomplishment to strike such a delicate balance.” Alex Maws (AJR. Formally Head of Education at the Holocaust Educational Trust)

“The work of this theatre company is very important, and it fills a real need in making knowledge of the Holocaust known and understood through performance. The skills of Voices of the Holocaust mean it carries out its educational mission; its company is talented and its leadership is wise.” Professor Robert Skloot Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin, Author and editor of ‘Theatre of the Holocaust’

“There is a big discussion about the ethics of making the Holocaust into art, a thing of beauty. Theatre in education company Voices of the Holocaust shows how it can be done; not simply as entertainment but as historically researched, no holds barred reflections. You cannot attend without thinking deeply about the Holocaust and what it is to be human.” Darius Jackson, Centre for Holocaust Education, University of London

 

Voices of the Holocaust is the only specialist company of its kind. They have performed at the European Parliament, are supported by the Association for Jewish Refugees and by the European Jewish Fund. Join us for this powerful evening to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.