We take a look at what is being said about Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich’s Pulitzer-nominee play.
Broadway World: ***** “Kaufman’s direction is relentless in its intensity. Philippine Velge leads with composure. She introduces the footage and builds on the data, creating a palimpsest of forensic analyses and empathy. As the researchers dig into the subjects of the photographs, we meet a variety of testimonies, from experts to survivors. The cast of eight is a cohesive ensemble who’s unafraid to disappear under the weight of the story they tell.”
The Guardian: ***** “This 90-minute show bites off more than it can chew but that is not necessarily a weakness. The meaning of these pictures wavers yet that only proves that history is not based on absolute, pindownable truth but on incomplete stories and snapshots from among the “junk” of people’s past lives.”
All That Dazzles: ***** “This is essential theatre: a production that reminds us of the importance of critical thinking, of sitting with discomfort, and of refusing to shy away from difficult questions; for to do otherwise can lead to devastating consequences. A melting pot of political, historical, and ethical theatre at its finest, Here There Are Blueberries is a masterfully slick and impactful production.”
A Young(ish) Perspective: **** “What saves these emotionless portrayals is the material itself. The photographs and the story they tell are absolutely fascinating, with the script drip-feeding just the right amount of information bit by bit, to keep the audience engaged. Constant reveals of who owned the album, who’s in it and what happened to them are slowly revealed, and the 90-minutes fly by.”
Everything Theatre: ***** “See this play. You will leave angered, saddened, but, most of all, changed. It will challenge you to question your own actions — which is possibly the best defence there is against any potential repeat of the horrors of the Holocaust.”
The Reviews Hub: **** 1/2 “This is a terrific dramatisation of a difficult but profoundly important topic, and it holds its audience rapt for 90 minutes.”
Theatre & Tonic: *** “Here There Are Blueberries is an important, beautifully mounted piece of theatre that asks urgent questions about memory and responsibility. I just wish it trusted the power of its material enough to ask fewer of them.”
Time Out: “Many of the themes here are worthy of interrogation: generational trauma, the limitations of history, and how we engage with the atrocities of the past. But, despite its subject matter, the play feels sterile, cold and emotionally airless. Historians may be required to maintain professional detachment, but in the theatre we should not be held at such a distance.”
The Stage: *** “Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich’s archival play explores the chilling mundanity of downtime for off-duty Nazi officers.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “Here There Are Blueberries invites us as spectators to ponder what we would do under the circumstances that the apparently innocuous figures in those black and white photos were living under, and to uncomfortably reflect on how ordinary those images are. The relevance to a present-day world in turmoil is inescapable. If you’re looking for traditional drama, you won’t find it here, but the gravitas, incredulity and the sheer awful scale of the Nazi horror are undeniably there, lurking beneath the sanguine words, demanding that attention be paid.”
Theatre Weekly: **** “Ultimately, Here There Are Blueberries is less concerned with the past than with the responsibility of looking. We study the faces, searching for a sign that separates “them” from “us.” None appears. The blueberries are real; so is everything just beyond the frame.”
First Night Magazine: *** “Still, Here There Are Blueberries has only provided us with the scraps of a potentially far superior book. Although it zooms in on some key features adequately, it seems oblivious to its dramatic focal point. Its educational value is indisputable, but much like the fruits in its title, the ride might come off sour. And so may the audience’s response to it.”
London Unattached: **** “Here There Are Blueberries‘ documentary format feels fresh onstage and brings a new angle to a subject horribly relevant. In our image-obsessed age of social media curation, the on-stage statement towards the show’s conclusion, that genocide begins with words and pictures rather than killing, feels disturbingly current. It feels wrong to say I “enjoyed” it, but I was entirely riveted and would highly recommend seeing it.”
London Theatre 1: **** “Still, from a technical standpoint, the show worked very well – the ‘right’ photos were always on display at the appropriate moment in the story. It’s a very subtle play (perhaps not one to see after a double shift at work), and it’s evidently well-researched. It may not tell its audiences anything they didn’t already know. It is nonetheless a thoughtful and fascinating piece of theatre. Yes, it over explains some things, but this did not feel unnecessary given the intensity of the stories.”
Here There are Blueberries continues to play at the Stratford East until the 28th February.