Internationally-Acclaimed Show Heads To Town With Powerful Message From The Past

An inspirational stage show is heading to Pyramid next week with an achingly personal tale about family at its heart

If you've ever wondered what life was like for your ancestors, or ever thought about where you'd be today if your grandparents had made different choices, then this is the show for you.

History, History, History takes you on an unforgettable journey to the past to discover more about the lasting imprint history has on people's lives.

Taking a 1950s black-and-white film, writer Deborah Pearson builds up layers of narrative to tell three interconnecting stories about the history of the film itself, a major political uprising, and her own surprising connections to these two things.

Join Deborah as she presents this fascinating work as a live documentary that delves deep into her Hungarian roots to find out more about how her family joined hundreds of thousands of refugees who were forced to flee their homeland in the wake of a bloody uprising against the USSR.

She said: "After the uprising, 250,000 Hungarians fled. It was one of the largest refugee crises at that time. My grandmother, my grandfather, my mother and my uncle were among them, and they went to Canada.

"We had this movie at home, and sometimes I'd watch it when I was growing up. When I found out that it was made in the year of the uprising, I started doing some research and I found that so many more historical, political and personal layers just opened up to me. It was one of those things that just seemed to expand in front of you like an endless book you can't possibly read all of."

Using a 1956 Soviet-sponsored film as an anchor, Deborah's investigation unlocks a network of riveting stories that tell the tale of this dark period of history, in addition to the survival of her own family and their new life in Canada.

This gripping show, which forms part of the extended Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival, not only looks into the past, but also strives to raise awareness of current world issues by adding a sense of context and familiarity to the stories that hit the headlines - particularly when it comes to refugees and other victims of war.

The piece also takes a look at the inescapable effect historical events have on all our family histories, and how one event that took place decades ago can completely change the entire identity of a family.

Pearson also plays around with the idea of censorship; from the enforced censorship of a dictatorship, to the natural censorship of family history and the way stories are passed down from one generation to the next.

Despite the complexity of the work, History, History, History has won critical acclaim the world over, and has been performed on three continents and in 10 countries, with Público - Portugal's national newspaper - highlighting it as one of the top 10 shows of 2017.

With dramaturgy by British comedian Daniel Kitson, this comical, thought-provoking drama delivers a gripping story with a powerful, personal message at its core.

Deborah said: "It's such a personal show for me, and I was working on it for such a long time that I'm so pleased that people are able to get on board with it. You hear my mum's voice, and my grandmother's voice, and see my grandfather, so it's like collaborating with my family, so for that to be so well received means a lot.

"It might seem very specialised but at its heart is a very accessible story about our families, history, and the different paths our lives take."

Tickets are on sale now at www.pyramidparrhall.com or by calling Box Office on 01925 442345.

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