I first met Luc as the father of three. All of his children are grown but we have stayed friends, perhaps unusually. Somewhere in the exchange of information between friends I learned of his history, his family history. I could not believe my ears, here was a man younger than me living in the 21st century, his mother a holocaust survivor. His grandmother was a doctor in the Warsaw ghetto, scene of heroic resistance to the Nazis. And then the most shattering of all, his grandmother had sent her children out of the ghetto and got onto the train to Treblinka with her patients. Luc‘s mother had raised him a Catholic and only when he arrived in Poland in his 20s and met cousins did he learn of his heritage.
Understandably, this changed his perspective on himself, his family and the world, permanently. We, South African audiences are incredibly privileged to share the fruits of the passion that he has poured into the insights and reflections that were born of his process. He has converted it into a finely human play that captures so many themes that resonate today.
I have attended a rehearsal and I have seen the young actors from across the South African spectrum moving vigorously about the stage, working to articulate with clarity, I have seen the strength of the lead character’s acting ability, the original staging and interpretation that the Bulgarian director, Iliana, has brought to bear on the material to give it life. It is very different to the usual fare of the Sandton Theatre on the Square. Luc has been guided through innumerable drafts by English and South African playwrights and it shows in the deeply thought through dialogue and action. It reveals the kind of thing you see in Montecasino to be the frippery that it is, and is a welcome break from the superannuated protest theatre that the Market Theatre continues to pour out. This is theatre at its most inspiring.