i was a german
has been created by a team of freelance theatremakers.
Many people have been essential to bringing I WAS A GERMAN to life, with special thanks to Tom Semlyen for putting in some serious parenting shifts so Clare could write, and to her kids who might like to watch this show about their great-grandad one day (and the little one for his a cameo appearance!)
Many thanks also to JW3 London for commissioning and programming I Was A German in the first place (special shout outs to Sarah Sigal, Deborah Vogt and Graham Self); to the Goethe Institut, London, for supporting us with their fantastic rehearsal space; Camden People's Theatre for programming our Work-In-Progress at Sprint Festival 2022; Les Enfants Terribles for shortlisting us for their award 2022; and ACE National Lottery Project Grants whose support has helped elevate the work at every stage.
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Special credit is due to the following source materials:
"Farewell to Germany" by Heinrich Fraenkel (pub. B. Hanison, 1959)
Descriptions of Internment:
"Help Us Germans to Beat the Nazis!" by Heinrich Fraenkel (pub. Victor Gollancz, 1941)
"The Making of an Englishman" by Fred Uhlman (pub. Victor Gollancz, 1960)
"Something in Common: Enemy Aliens", BBC Radio 4, June 1971
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Special thanks also to the Fraenkels - Clare's parents Peter and Anne for all their support and encouragement, Uncle Michael for sharing his memories and brother Nick for agreeing to feature in the play!
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21st - 24th Feb 2023 @ 7.50pm
Studio, VAULT Festival, LONDON
Clare Fraenkel - WRITER AND PERFORMER
Clare is an actor and puppeteer who has worked extensively in theatre since graduating Drama Studio London, prior to which studied English Lit at University of Bristol. She has especially worked in new writing, performing in more than 14 brand new professional productions in venues including Arcola, Soho and Polka Theatres. She has also toured across the UK, everything from outdoor Shakespeare to Number 1 tours.
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Screen work includes This Is Going to Hurt (BBC) and Magic Mike's Last Dance (Dir Steven Soderbergh).
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After many years devising and collaborating with others, I WAS A GERMAN is her first full-length play.
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Lowri James - DIRECTOR
Lowri is co-artistic director of Shadowboxer Theatre and has devised new work for the National Theatre Studio,Young Vic and Soho theatre. She developed her new play What We Left Behind with Barbican.
As a performer Lowri has worked with Punchdrunk, Kneehigh and was in the original cast of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.
ShadowBoxer - VISUAL THEATRE COLLABORATION
Using overhead projectors, paper puppets and layered photographic images to create detailed shadow and silhouette worlds. ShadowBoxer have created their unique visual stories for the BAC, Merge Festival Bankside, The Kirkcaldy Testing Factory and VAULT Festival. Shadowboxer are Sammy Kissin Nicole Black and Lowri James.
Arran Glass - COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGN
Arran is a lyricist, composer and songwriter and has been played on Radio 3, Radio 2 and 6Music. His theatre composition includes multiple soundtracks for Little Angel Theatre and Fly High Stories at Singapore Rep.
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SOUNDTRACK PERFORMED BY:
KIT MASSEY (Piano and Violin); MIRIAM WAKELING (Cello); ANDY HAMILL (Double Bass); PHIL CORNWELL (Piano)
and produced by RU LEMER of Temple Music Studio
Nicola Blackwell - SET AND COSTUME DESIGN
Set and Costume design includes: Opera: L'Etoile (New Sussex Opera) and Down By The Greenwood Side (Brighton Festival Commission) Theatre: The Boy, The Piano and The Beach (Brighton Festival), Miki, One Snowy Night, Kipper's Snowy Day (Norden Farm Centre for the Arts), Boom (Theatre 503), The Tribunal (Inroads/ The Marlborough) Your Toys (Tour) BLinK BLonK (Discover Children's Story Centre) and SNUG (The Point, Eastleigh).
Selected performing credits include: Market Boy (RNT), Herge's Adventures of Tintin (Barbican), Mountain Language (Royal Court), People Shows 112, 113, 115, 116 and 117, Strike Gently Away From Body (Young Vic), While I Was Waiting (Young Vic/ ENO) The Chatham Witch (Icon), Home Fires and Two Pairs of Eyes (Inroads),
The Sound Collector and On The Outskirts of a Large Event (Sheffield Crucible).
Directing includes: On War, Alfred (Young Vic Shorts), Vacant Possession (Inroads), SNUG (The Point, Eastleigh)
Alongside co-artistic directors Fiona Creese and Nick Tigg and producer Emma Dolman, Nicola co-runs Slot Machine Theatre, who make bold contemporary work for family audiences.
Samantha Kissin - DRAMATURG
Samantha Kissin is a writer, actress and theatre maker. She has written and produced shows for The Old Vic New Voices as well as The VAULT Festival, Merge, Rye and Edinburgh Festivals. She co-wrote and performed “Alice Re;Imagined” for The Royal Opera House’s education department and regularly performs for Punchdrunk Enrichment.
Pablo Fernandez Baz - LIGHTING DESIGN
Pablo’s recent lighting design credits include Oliver Award-nominated show” Warheads”, directed by Toby Clarke at the Park Theatre. Contemporary Circus production “Staged”, Winner Total Theatre awards for Circus 2019. “United queendom” site-specific, immersive production at the Kensington Palace, produced by Les Enfants Terribles. “Nearly Human” by Perhaps contraption, offie nominated (IDEA 2020). “Valhalla” Site-specific directed by Rich rusk, nominated Offfest short run 2019. Other companies Pablo has collaborated include Talawa Theatre, The sleeping trees, Little soldier production, Nofit Circus state. Recent credits as LD assistant : “El Medico, El Musical” , “El tiempo entre costuras” ( Spain Tour)
Instagram: fernandez.baz
Estelle Homerstone - MARKETING MANAGER
Estelle is a theatremaker, producer and performer from Kent. She graduated from Rose Bruford's Collaborative Theatremaking MA. She has produced widely across festivals such as VAULT, Edinburgh, and is taking a new musical to Brighton Fringe in May.
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Currently she is working on Caceroleo which stormed the first week of VAULTs this year, and is getting ready to bring Working for Crumbs to The Space in April and May.
