The Covenant- Haunting history with heart and dark humour at Segal Centre for Performing Arts

Alice Abracen’s powerful, award-winning play, The Covenant, treads a heart wrenching line through despair and dark humour. Beautifully crafted, the audience is transported to a heinous, immoral time in history that sadly rings too close to current and conceivable atrocities. Added to the mix is the out of control feeling of today’s fake news in override; how more than ever the spread of half-truths and lies gathers wide acceptance. The Covenant has every audience member fully engaged and questioning, ‘what would I do if it was me’. Directed by Murdoch Schon, Theatre Ouest End presents this timely, world premiere production, playing at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts Studio from November 13 to December 3. There will be post-show talkbacks with invited guests to explore questions raised by the play. Mature subject matter.

Inspired by a true story, The Covenant is set in June, 1944 at Theresienstadt. Here, international Red Cross dignitaries are invited to marvel at this lively, cultural town which appears to be a haven for Jewish people in the heart of Czechoslovakia. Little do they know that this paradise is a ghetto and concentration camp elaborately staged in order to conceal Nazi crimes against humanity.

Though based on an historical event, the play is timeless. “Even today people are detained, imprisoned and persecuted for their ethnic or racial identities. The lessons of history are forgotten or misappropriated—as seen in the yellow stars worn at anti-vaccine protests,” said Abracen.