I was honoured to be invited back to Solihull School on Monday 23rd September 2019, the previous time being last January for the screening of No Asylum - the Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story in the presence of Holocaust survivor and Anne Frank's stepsister, Eva Schloss. This time it was for a performance of And Then They Came For Me by James Still (Moondog Productions), also in the presence of Eva Schloss.
The play is, essentially, a very real and graphic multi-media representation of Eva's entire Holocaust experience. It brings it home to you much more effectively than reading about it or even watching it on film. And Then They Came For Me seems to be permanently on tour, so go and watch it - it's a must-see! For me, it was an unforgettable experience which, I feel, should be part of every school's Holocaust education curriculum.
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| Back row: David Lloyd Headmaster: John Wood, son of Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Berney, Bergen Belsen liberator; The Right Honourable The Lord Glasman, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research UK Front row: Mark Penney Head of the Junior School; Diana Crabtree; Eva Schloss MBE; Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, John Crabtree OBE |
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| Headmaster of Solihull School, David Lloyd, addressing the audience before the start of the play, with Eva Schloss and many other dignitaries in the front row. |
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| Patrick Withey as a Hitler Youth |
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| Nazi officials (Patrick Withey and Benjamin Hardy-Phillips) arresting Eva (Gemma Reynolds) |
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| A testimony by Eva plays on the big screen while Patrick, Benjamin and Gemma recreate Eva's interrogation |
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| The Hitler Youth telling us how he was ordered to strangle his puppy, otherwise he'd never be a real German |
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| The cast on stage with Eva |
After the play, Eva answered questions from Mark Penney, Head of the Junior School
(organiser of the event) and from the audience
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| Eva with the cast after the show (left to right: Eva Schloss, Patrick Withey, Savannah Betts, Benjamin Hardy-Phillips, Gemma Reynolds) |
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