THE emotional trauma of a family forced to separate through Nazi persecution is explored in Diane Samuels’ award-winnng play Kindertransport.

It’s a fictional account of the evacuation of a German Jewish girl under the Kinderstransport (children’s transport) programme introduced by the British Government in November 1938 following nights of violence against Jews across Germany and neighbouring Austra.

Taking the role of that child, called Eva Schlesinger, on her acting debut for Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group is year-nine pupil Ruby Belcher, 14.

With the storm clouds of the coming Second World War gathering over Germany, Eva’s desperate mother Helga (Sarah Curran) forces her on to one of the Kindertransport trains, to carry her to safety in Britain, where she is cared for by foster mother Lil (Andrea Spencer).

Although fictional, the play is based upon the real-life accounts of some of the 10,000 predominantly Jewish children rescued in the operation nine months before the outbreak of war and placed in foster homes and hostels and on farms. It charts how the horrific events come to affect three generations of a single family, with Eva’s mother eventually coming to Manchester to find her.

Playing Eva has presented Ruby with several challenges on top of the basic task of remembering her lines. She has to portray the character between the ages of 12 and 17, speak English with a German accent and then later with a northern air, and occasionally speak in German as well as sing and play the harmonica.

However, Ruby said: “I have really enjoyed rehearsing this play and am looking forward to the performances.

“I have found reading the real kinder stories very moving.”

In later life, Eva changes her name to Evelyn, with the character then being portrayed by a second actor Paula Eastwood. She by then has a daughter of her own, Faith (Bryony Harding). Completing the cast as the Ratcatcher character is Rob Bateman. The play’s director Kate Belcher said: “It has been a privilege to bring this story to life, remembering the lives of the children who travelled to this country on the Kindertransport during the Second World War and the effect it had on their adult lives. Rehearsals have been full of discussion and emotion and I feel we have done Eva’s story justice.”

Backing up Kate as director are technical director Ian Ashby and stage manager Mike Lacey.

The play alternates swiftly between the late 1930s and the 1980s with varying locations including two completely different homes, a train station, a railway carriage and on board a boat.

Sarah, who plays Helga, said: “This means that lighting and sound are critical to evoking a sense of time and place and we couldn’t have contemplated this production without such a committed technical crew.

“Period props and costumes have also had to be sourced. We are lucky to have access to the Oxfordshire Drama Wardrobe, an amazing resource that has been supplying costumes for amateur productions since before the Second World War. Anything we have been unable to find from their collection of 6,000 items has been made by members of the group.”

The group is performing Kindertransport at the village hall in Draycott Road, Southmoor, from Thursday to Saturday, November 27 to 29, with doors opening at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets can be bought from the village Post Office, via wegottickets.com, by calling 01865 736913 or on the door if still available.