Discover the spectacular true story of how a Jewish acrobat escaped the Nazis, by running away to join the circus, in a poignant one-woman theatre and puppetry production.
Based on the true story of Irene Danner-Storm, The Escape Act – A Holocaust Memoir tells the powerful story of a Jewish acrobat who hid in a German circus during WWII to escape the concentration camps. Hard-hitting and inspiring, this historically researched and poignant one-woman theatre and puppetry production will embark on a UK tour this autumn.
The production follows Irene’s journey from Kristallnacht in 1938 to liberation in 1945, and her all too risky escape to the circus. It’s the story of how she fell in love and started her own family, all under the protection of the Althoff Circus. It is about the immense kindness shown towards Irene by the non-Jews who risked their lives to save her and inspects the devastating impact of the Holocaust on individuals and families who were torn apart.
The performance flits from past to present as it simultaneously examines Irene’s life under the Third Reich and the experiences of writer and performer Stav Meishar growing up a grandchild to Holocaust survivors. As Meishar tells Irene’s story it triggers her own memories of family stories, and she is compelled to face the past traumas and struggles of their history.
A multi-faceted performance combining theatre, circus and puppetry, the performance is a culmination of seven years of research into the lives of German-Jewish circus families between 1929 and 1945. Using collected testimonies and interviewed witnesses, the production is brought to life by Meishar in an effort to document and commemorate the Jewish legacies.
In addition, the tour is accompanied by a public talk about the history of Circus Jews in Europe between the World Wars. There will also be interactive circus and drama workshops for all ages and audience Q&As; which are all available to book in advance.
When: 21st September – 29th October 2019
Where: London, Bristol, Birmingham, Salford
£: Tickets price vary, depending on the venue
More info: www.theescapeactshow.com