'Tonight: Lola Blau'
by
Georg Kreisler
with Esther
Zschieschow
directed by Phil Young
Old Red Lion, Islington, 1995
A one woman musical show set against the background of the rise of Nazism in the 1930s. Lola Blau is a Jewish singer who escapes Germany and develops a flourishing career in the United States before returning to her native country after the war. This is a virtuoso opportunity for a talented actress/singer and was Esther Zschieschow's English debut.
In spite of another tiny budget this was a satisfying project. An efficient team pulled it together without exhausting themselves, (the normal state of affairs), and enjoyed the process. The simple rough-sawn framework with infills of rusty metal grids and taught latex sheets was used as the projection screen for multiple images: both 35mm slides (two projectors) and 16mm B+W film. In such a tiny space, seating only 60, the low lighting levels and audience proximity made sure that the projections were suitably intense. The show was accompanied by a three person band drawn from musician/performer students/graduates from Rose Bruford College.