Posted on September 10, 2024
An exhilarating, emotive performance about displaced children both historically and in a contemporary context, that invites individuals to actively combat anti-refugee policies.
As part of the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival, Good Chance and Gecko Theatre’s From Here On marks 85 years since the Kindertransport saved thousands of mostly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe. Working in conjunction with Gecko’s professional company 40 young people from around the world perform an exhilarating piece that uses movement, dance, music, and performative storytelling to consider both historical and contemporary issues around the displacement of children.
The Kindertransport was initiated by individuals and charity organisations rather than governments, and this production itself invites social connection that speaks to these origins. It is free to attend, open to all, and non-ticketed. It is also performed exposed to the elements (but under a roof) at Liverpool Street Exchange, where the large company embrace the open space, filling it with resonant music and expansive ensemble work.
Intricately directed by Amit Lahav, this vibrant, enthusiastic and physical performance is not simply a retelling of the story of the Kindertransport, but a complex recognition of the ongoing displacement of young people across the world today. Using simple props such as suitcases, musical instruments, domestic furniture and symbolic costume, the show enacts the experiences of children who are victims of migration, often sent unaccompanied to seek sanctuary by desperate families.
The story has a non-linear quality, intermingling times, countries and cultures in a whirling representation of an unremittingly present problem. From the very start, international boundaries are deconstructed, as languages cross over and similar events occur across cultures: from Africa to the Middle East to Asia to Europe, children around the globe are forced from their homes by war and political power struggles. The diverse casting of performers of many ages and backgrounds works beautifully to underscore this key message.
Slick, considered choreography visually demonstrates how people can be brought together to help or hinder refugees, but also how people can be separated, becoming isolated and vulnerable. The ensemble vividly portrays the human pressures that disrupt domestic lives, moving in synchronicity to show the menacing danger of anti-refugee pressures from the masses, then dividing up to relate the pain of families endangered by circumstances beyond their control. Individuals become objectified and dehumanised as they are labelled ‘refugee’, with the Kindertransport number tag a reminder of the sheer quantity of people who still undergo this process to this day. Yet we’re simultaneously reminded of the urgent need for play and community, which give value and support in difficult circumstances. The performers’ movements are fluid and beautifully descriptive, telling poignant, affecting tales without words, and they are accompanied by highly atmospheric music and sound throughout.
From Here On not only draws an emotive, tangible understanding of the humanity of refugees but it also demonstrates how the compassion of individuals and communities has the power to make real change and help them. Supporting this, the production additionally calls out to audiences to add their names to Safe Passage International‘s call for Safe Routes, which seeks to combat the impact of anti-refugee policies around the world and make asylum systems more humane for unaccompanied children. Their message: as with the origins of the Kindertransport, acts of compassion from every individual can make a big difference and it’s up to each of us to do the right thing for those who cannot help themselves.