Performed at Summerhall, the raw and intimate presentation of Niusia, co-created and directed by Kat Yates, features Beth Patterson sharing a deeply personal story about her late grandmother, Niusia, a Holocaust survivor she affectionately calls ‘Nana’.
The play begins with Beth offering her perspective on who her Nana was, and it’s far from flattering. Her honesty is striking, as she grapples with conflicting memories and emotions surrounding their relationship.
Having won awards at both the Adelaide and Melbourne Fringe Festivals, Niusia feels especially relevant today, exploring themes of political division and generational trauma.
As Beth delves into boxes of family memorabilia and listens to audio recordings of her mother Suzie, whose voice is warm and candid, she begins to uncover a different version of Niusia. Suzie’s recollections are filled with affection and admiration, which Beth finds difficult to reconcile with her own experiences.
“She changes the subject,” Suzie says in one recording, hinting at the emotional complexity of their family history. Beth’s journey becomes one of seeking connection across three generations of women, yearning for the comfort of familial warmth, symbolised by the image of a blanket.
What Beth discovers is harrowing. Beyond the horrors of the concentration camp, she learns that Niusia had been studying to become a doctor, and the knowledge she gained came at a humiliating and traumatic cost.
Through this exploration, Beth begins to find a sense of identity and belonging. She embraces her Jewish heritage, even as she admits, with humour and vulnerability, that it’s something “she does not quite know what to do with.” Her authenticity and wit are central to the play’s emotional resonance.
We are invited to join Beth on this journey, not just to learn about Niusia, but to witness Beth’s own transformation. As the play closes, there’s a palpable sense of healing and connection. It’s a moving tribute to family, memory, and the search for self.
