Blonde Poison

Stella Goldschlag was only eighteen when war broke out. Aryan in appearance – blonde hair, blue eyes – she was still Jewish, so she was not spared the Gestapo’s excesses. Living illegally in war torn Berlin she was persecuted, incarcerated and tortured. In order to save herself, she took to being a ‘greifer’ or catcher, informing on other Jews in hiding and so became complicit in the holocaust. The human survival instinct runs deep – what would you do?

Following a sellout season at the Old Fitz, Belinda Giblin brings Goldshlag’s story to the stage once again in Blonde Poison. “We played to absolutely full houses and with people sitting on the stage,” said Giblin, such was the play’s critical and popular acclaim. Transporting the show to The Studio at the Sydney Opera House maintains the intimate feel – like sitting in Goldschlag’s living room and being drawn into a life so complex that it is difficult to fathom.

Stories of the Jewish/Nazi experience can often become polarised, beset by characters of either great evil or virtue, yet Giblin’s portrayal is more ambiguous and conflicted. “She is such a mix of evil and vulnerability,” said Giblin. “I ask myself, is she straight evil? Is she a narcissistic psychopath? A young girl so persecuted that she had no choice but to act as she did? She is all of these things.”

Although the show’s subject matter is challenging, director Jennifer Hagan can’t hide her excitement: “You will see the most astonishing story unfold. You will see Belinda as you’ve never seen her before, reaching such depths of emotion. It’s a fabulous play and wonderfully performed.” (GW)

Apr 28–May 12,Tues–Sat 7pm, Wed + Sat 1:30pm. The Studio, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $49.90-$74.90. Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com.au or 02 9250 7777