Dedication has just arrived in London from New York via the Edinburgh Fringe, and deserved a bigger audience on the night I saw it at Marylebone theatre.
It's a 70 minute one man show written, produced and performed by New York pianist Roger Peltzman, telling the story of his family from 1933 when they fled Nazi persecution in Germany and went to Belgium. They lived there peacefully for a few years before the Nazis arrived and a terrible purge started.
It blends music, heartfelt storytelling, history and film - a standout, breath-intake moment involves a projected 1930s photo of Roger's family posing in a wedding group. Of the 30+ people, dressed in their best and smiling for the camera, only three survived the war.
His beloved mother Beatrice “the ultimate survivor”, managed to escape during a night raid on the attic where the family had been hiding for two years. She climbed out of a window then was disguised as a nun to make it to a farm. The rest of her family were deported to Poland for forced labour or the gas chambers.
On stage is a large piano, a stool and Roger (who has played Carnegie Hall). Between performances of everything from the Blues to Chopin, he weaves his own story about growing up as a first generation, musical Jew in the USA, and his quest to find out more about his family - especially piano protégé Uncle Norbert, murdered at Auschwitz aged 21.
Along the way he has many interesting things to say about inherited trauma - including evidence that it can pass down to generations via genetic changes - the mechanics of the concentration camps, bravery, survival and the healing power of music.
There is sorrow but Roger’s approach is light and humorous, although his intent is clear. With this personal, family story, that resonated with many in the audience, he is determined to ensure that as the Holocaust generation pass, their testimony survives, and we all remember.
Dedication runs at Marylebone Theatre, Park Road, NW1 until June 24.
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