A grandmother's stories shared

AustralianPlays.org reports on an Australian play on stage

Nicola Germaine's new play Of Words and War is largely based upon the life of her grandmother, Elsa.

It tells the story of four German women during World War II.

Germaine talks about her inspiration for the script:

"Hearing stories about the wartime youth of my grandmother—a youth entirely different to my own—I felt compelled to record them while I was able. Conversations soon became interviews and one evening, polishing costume shoes in the bowels of a university theatre, I began writing scene one in my mind.

"I desperately wanted to work more creatively than the role of assistant stage manager allowed, so little by little, over evenings and weekends, I worked moments from her stories into scenes and scenes into a first draft."

"The play being performed is the sixth version of the script and although historical events were creatively interpreted to serve the story, the play—thanks to my grandmother being editorial advisor—remains faithful to the spirit of the time and salutes the courage of the girls who lived through it."

The show's producer, Andrew Dodds, says first time he read Of Words and War he was struck by "how theatrically rich it was and how simply Nicola appeared to achieve this in her text.”

Dodds says the story's themes of censorship and oprression will resonate with contemporary audiences.

OF WORDS AND WAR

by Nicola Germaine

Based on true events, Of Words and War is a story about the enduring nature of creativity, set amidst the duty and secrecy of war.

20 June - 1 July 2012

La Mama Courthouse - VIC  

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