23 June – 4 July 2021
2020 REPROGRAM
“A storyteller can attempt to tell the human tale, can remind us that the swallows still sing around the smokestacks.” – Jane Yolen.
A beautiful and symbolic representation of a storytelling experience that cannot be replicated. An early start to understanding the Holocaust, connecting to young peoples lives through voice recording and visual storytelling.
SINGING SWALLOWS is a physical theatre performance telling stories from four Holocaust survivors. The audience experiences all sound through individual headphones, which they are given at the beginning of the performance. Through these headphones, each Holocaust story is shared by the voice of a young person, as the survivors the stories are based on were of young age during the Holocaust. In between the verbal storytelling, the performers on stage activate the recyclable set, bringing to life the personal experiences heard through the headphones.
SINGING SWALLOWS will have audio description and open captions. Q&A sessions after each performance are not captioned. The panel discussion on 27th June will be open captioned live.
"It is a pleasure to see so accomplished and important a piece of independent theatre... Delicately, powerfully, introducing children to Holocaust history."
THE AGE
“As our Holocaust survivors are aging, soon we will not have their voices to tell their stories. I believe that Singing Swallows address the need of our community to keep on telling the stories, and reconnect our youth with our Jewish history.”
TALI BARR WAANDERS, BIALIK COLLEGE, CO-ORDINATOR OF HEBREW & JEWISH STUDIES PRIMARY AND EARLY LEARNING CENTRE
“I have felt there is a void to sharing these days with younger children, in terms of availing age appropriate, emotionally sensitive material... Romi and her team were able to help us fill that void this year.”
RIVKA MEASEY, LEIBLER YAVNEH COLLEGE PRIMARY COORDINATOR OF INFORMAL JEWISH EDUCATION
“A layered and nuanced performance work... an original and stunning performance piece.”
AUDIENCE MEMBER, DEVELOPMENT SEASON
DURATION
35 minutes no interval
WARNINGS (9+)
STORYTELLING ACROSS GENERATIONS POST-SHOW PANEL
Post-show panel on Sunday 27th June exploring how we as artists use our artistic practice to continue storytelling for other generations.
Moderator – Rani Pramesti
Panellists – Romi Kupfer, Adena Jacobs, Carissa Lee, Tariro Mavondo
Created by
ROMI KUPFER
Produced by
RK COLLABORATIONS
Performed by
FLORA FELDMAN, SOL FELDMAN, ROMI KUPFER
Sound Design
JUSTIN GARDAM
Lighting Design
JOHN COLLOPY
Original Performer and Education Consultant
TAMMY COHEN
Production Coordinator
NOAH CHRAPOT
Voiced by
JASMINE FILER, ELLIE GOLDENBERG, NOAH GOLDENBERG, RAYMOND KUPFER, ZAC MAIDENBERG
Photo by
PIA JOHNSON
