24/08/2025
Wow! What an incredible start to the final day here in Edinburgh! I’m so delighted the show connects and this is a such a considered and thoughtful piece
Clare Fraenkel's I Was a German Transcends Theatre ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Clare Fraenkel’s I Was a German is far more than a theatrical performance; it is a profoundly resonant journey, a vital act of remembrance, and a luminous testament to the enduring human spirit. This masterclass in solo storytelling is an intimate, intelligent, and deeply moving experience that redefines the boundaries of personal narrative.
Fraenkel is a storyteller of breathtaking grace and power. Her presence is nothing short of magnetic, weaving an exquisite tapestry of warmth, wit, and gravity that instantly draws you into her world. With electrifying nuance, she inhabits a multitude of roles – from ancestral voices to bureaucratic figures – transforming historical testimony into living, breathing theatre. Through her, the stage becomes a conduit for generations, giving voice to her courageous grandfather Heinz, a German-Jewish journalist forced to flee N**i persecution, and illuminating his spirit with profound empathy.
The narrative itself is a brilliantly layered excavation of heritage, sparked by Fraenkel's own act of applying for German citizenship in a post-Brexit Britain.
This personal quest blossoms into a universal meditation on identity, memory, and the elusive nature of belonging. She masterfully bridges centuries, revealing the timeless echoes of exodus and the poignant, often humorous, complexities of finding one's place in a world constantly redrawing its lines.
Under the sensitive and visionary direction of Lowri James, the production itself is a marvel of creative ingenuity. The stage transforms into a dynamic canvas of memory, where everyday objects – a suitcase, a stack of papers, a simple light switch – become potent storytelling tools, imbued with symbolic weight. Projections and shadow play artfully evoke shifting landscapes of the past and mind, while a meticulously layered sound design anchors the emotional arcs with subtle, yet seismic, precision.
What truly elevates I Was a German is its gentle, yet purposeful, invitation for the audience to participate. We are not mere spectators, but entrusted custodians of history, asked to engage in small, meaningful acts that forge an unbreakable bond with the narrative. This quiet complicity makes us part of the legacy, connecting us intimately to the ongoing conversation about displacement and humanity.
Beyond the personal memoir, this is a profoundly urgent and utterly essential dialogue. Fraenkel doesn’t preach; she illuminates, inviting us into a space of deep empathy where the parallels between past and present refugee crises become powerfully, undeniably clear. Thoughtful, humorous, and pulsing with a quiet urgency, I Was a German is a magnificent, unforgettable experience – a triumph of spirit stays with you, inspiring you to look beyond borders, to remember, and to truly feel. In short, a masterpiece.
