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Delivered as a fairy tale narration, The Most Precious of Goods is a haunting narrative reminding us of the power of human love that existed despite the horror of the Holocaust. Summary
Rating
Excellent
How do you tell a story that’s been told millions of times before without losing its impact? Well, in this case the answer is to take it back to the bare minimum: tell it as a fairy story, read soothingly by a storyteller settled in a big armchair, book in hand. Because the cosiness of the setting belies the horror of the picture painted by those innocent words. And when the audience understands what the story is referring to, the shock is palpable.
Written by Jean-Claud Grumberg, the novella The Most Precious of Goods is read by Samantha Spiro with feeling, engagement and love. Musician Gemma Rosefield intervenes at times, her mournful cello and occasional voice the perfect vehicles for the haunting nature of the Yiddish tunes required. The stage is strewn with autumn leaves and at either side two panels list numbers in the silhouette of trees, reflecting those tattooed on the arms of the prisoners in the German camps. The screen at the back displays pictures of snow-covered forests, reinforcing the desolation and sorrow of the scene.
Without giving too much plot away, there is a poor woodcutter and his wife desperate for a child. Sound familiar? This is 1943 and there are goods trains that run across their land which are boarded up. ‘What goods do they contain?’ wonder the starving pair. Food perhaps?! One day a small bundle wrapped in a Jewish prayer shawl is thrown from the train and it would appear their prayers have been answered. We follow the rest of the story from the perspective of the man that threw the bundle, the woman that picked it up and others that help or hinder their safety.
Fairy tales are often allegories, so this feels a perfect mechanism to remind us of the horrors of the Holocaust. The method of slowly releasing information to the audience reminds us of the little information that those involved would have had.
This is a haunting, moving piece. I loved its simplicity which is borne out through words, music and staging. As Spiro addresses the audience at the end of her piece, she challenges them with the declaration that, of course, none of this true. And then the screens at the back of the stage fall away leaving smart suitcases piled up. Never to be reunited with their owners.
As the audience gets up to leave, a final screen shows the numbers of passengers on Convoy Numbers 45 and 49 from 1942 and 1943 respectively. 1778 passengers were on those two trains. By 1945 only 8 were alive. Who needs fiction with truth like this?
Performances have been arranged to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January).
Written by: Jean-Claude Grumberg
Translated & Directed by: Nicholas Kent
Designer: Carly Brownbridge
Projected Photography: Judy Goldhill
Lighting Designer: Matt Eagland
The Most Precious of Goods plays at the Marylebone Theatre until Saturday 3rd February. Further information and booking can be found here.
