Review: Niusia, The Lantern Theatre- Brighton Fringe

(Photo Credit: Megan O'Neill)

Grandma Niusia has died leaving Beth, a third generation Australian immigrant, to sort through what she left behind: memories of a woman deeply infuriated with the world and a family history packed away in boxes. But maybe it’s time for Beth to unpack everything, now that she’s free to ask all the questions she wasn’t allowed to ask before. A chance to learn about the other side of her Grandmother, the holocaust survivor. 

This Australian show made its debut at Melbourne Fringe in twenty twenty three to great success, winning the ‘Market Ready Award’. It then went to Adelaide Fringe in twenty twenty five before making its international debut at the Edinburgh Fringe that same year. After the current Brighton Fringe run at the Lantern Theatre, the show will be heading to Theatre five zero three in London. 

I don’t usually start my reviews in this way, but it feels right for this particular story, which is told through open and honest verbatim theatre. A theatrical medium in which actors use tangible means (audio recordings, interviews, written testimonies etc.) to reproduce the exact spoken words of real people. Typically a diary, memoir or documentary. Think of a caterpillar born anew as a beautiful butterfly. Life given new life. 

In this instance, the medium is used to tell the true family history contained within the memories and discoveries of the performer, Elisabeth Patterson (Beth).

Knowing how deep the subject matter is and understanding that some audience members may find the show difficult, Patterson and the creative team go to great lengths to prepare us. Before the performance begins, they advise us of the content and invite us, as individuals, to do what feels comfortable. We are able to leave if the show gets a bit too much and are welcome to return at any point. Additionally, we are reassured that whilst there will be some deep, serious discussion, there will also be lightness and laughter. The shared space feels safe and free, even though the subject matter is utterly harrowing, because everything is handled with the highest level of care, compassion and empathy. 

There's absolutely no denying how transparent this show is. From the outset, Patterson openly admits how difficult it can be to piece together the puzzle of a person from different people’s memories and that she remembers her Grandmother Niusia as a bit of a bitch. The trail of research and questions lead to a new side to Niusia that Beth never got to witness whilst she was alive, and whilst this can be something a person grapples with, it can also be enlightening. Sometimes in discovering new things about other people, we uncover hidden facets of ourselves.

To that end, this show is a real education in making more of a significant effort beyond the classroom to understand cultures you’re not overly familiar with. To continue to engage with history in order to learn from it- to keep learning full stop and to keep asking questions in the acknowledgement of the fact that there is room for growth. Change, this intrinsic ingredient of being, is necessary for imperfect beauty. 

Patterson is a dynamic performer and her vocal control is second to none, making her able to navigate harsh landscapes with ease. She has an innate ability to connect with the audience, which is part of what makes the show perfect for the medium. 

Director, Kathryn Yates, expertly integrates the art form with the space and uses Patterson’s strengths to their advantage. The result being that the show is as visually interesting as it is raw, without being overpowering. 

Important and profound, this show is one picture in a world wide photo album that has the power to bring people together. Long may it run.

***** Five Stars

Age rating: Fifteen plus

Content notes: references to violence, war, antisemitism, concentration camps, war crimes, genocide, the holocaust, Auschwitz- Discussion about the holocaust and antisemitism, descriptions of concentration camp experiences, discussion about immigration/immigrant experiences, discussion about refugee experiences, discussion death and bereavement, discussion about family/generational trauma, depictions of and references to violence, depiction of a PTSD flashback, reference to and depiction of a hate symbol, references to mental illness, strong language. 

For more information and tickets…

For the Brighton Fringe run at The Lantern, ending on the seventh of May: https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/niusia/

For the London run at  Theatre five zero three, from the twelfth to the twenty third of May: https://theatre503.com/whats-on/niusia/