A new comedy show on a mini-tour in November asks if you should ever go back to something that destroyed you...
In Going Deutsch, Jewish theatre-maker Anna Clover explores whether she should return to live in Germany by “dating” the country offering her citizenship – despite the historically obvious reason why she might not want to live in Germany.
Anna, an artist, theatre-maker, improviser and facilitator, is lead coordinator for inclusive young people’s theatre company Hackney Shed. After a date in London, she brings her show to the Manchester Jewish Museum (November 6), followed by a night at the Old Courts in Wigan (November 10), before heading to Leicester and other venues.
Clover uses the metaphor of getting back with an ex-boyfriend to explore relationships and inherited trauma – in what is nonetheless billed as an "hilarious" one-woman show.
Anna said: “I first had the idea for Going Deutsch after Brexit, when I discovered I was eligible for a German passport as a descendant of victims of Nazi persecution. At the time, many friends were reconnecting with their Irish heritage to retain EU citizenship, so I was excited to have a way to hold on to my own European identity.
“What I hadn't anticipated was the views of others in my family about taking this passport back. The way they talked about it reminded me of the language used about people who return to abusive partners – and the idea for Going Deutsch was born.
“Going Deutsch is about cultural connection, being part of a diaspora and what we inherit from those who went before.”