From the Source; working methods of Theatre of Remembrance and working with elderly WWII witnesses
“Remembering can help us be more human. I think this program is important so that we can remember the stories and that the stories live on and that we ourselves feel them as well.”
— Mezei Luca, youth actor for Theatre of Remembrance in Budapest
Every year on January 27th—International Holocaust Remembrance Day—Theatre of Remembrance brings together an extraordinary group of people: young aspiring performers and elderly witnesses of history. Together, their talents and experiences combine to create theatre productions which can share these lessons with others. At the heart of our work is a simple but impactful idea: memory lives most vividly when it is shared across generations.
Our working method is as much about process as it is about performance. In the months leading up to each production, we begin not with scripts or sets, but with conversations. Young people, often in their teens or early twenties, sit down with elderly individuals—many of whom carry direct or second-hand memories of World War II. These sessions are intimate and wide-ranging. The young participants ask questions, listen intently, and often hear stories that are not in history books: fragments of daily life during wartime, the silence after loss, the quiet courage of survival. The fewer living survivors there are, the more we rely on meaningful ways to keep their experiences alive—not only as lessons but as lived connections.
“The conversations with the elderly at home were impressive. I thought I would have to ask a lot, but that gentleman had so much to tell and show! He was a little boy during the war and had experienced it all himself. Then you hear details that you would otherwise never know.”
— Yara Meinen (15), youth actor for Theatre of Remembrance in Amsterdam
These encounters are not simply interviews—they are dialogues. The elderly participants are not passive sources of information; they are co-creators. Their stories shape the direction of the theatre pieces, and their presence, often woven into the performances themselves, brings an authenticity that is impossible to stage any other way. The theatre becomes a space of healing, of reflection, and of unity.
This process is not just about gathering historical facts. It’s about transferring emotional truth and bringing this into modern day. For young people, it is an education in empathy—seeing history not as a list of events, but as a lived experience that still echoes in the present. For the elderly, it can be a cathartic opportunity to be heard, to witness their memories take on new life, and to connect with a generation eager to understand.
“There is a moment that still warms my heart when I recall it. There was a student, a girl, and then when our conversation was over, this little girl sat next to me, and she said she was very touched because her Mother had also died a long time ago, and this was like a radar between the two of us, conveying understanding. What it is like to have one of your parents missing.”
— Tóth Ottóné Éva, an elderly witness for Theatre of Remembrance in Budapest
These performances shape meaningful intergenerational dialogues by presenting historical stories. Beyond mere representation, they also encourage reflection on what these stories mean to younger audiences. They explore how young people relate to these narratives and why they remain relevant today and in the future.
At a time when polarisation and generational divides can feel stronger than ever, the Theatre of Remembrance offers an alternative: a stage where generations meet, listen, and create together. In doing so, we honour the past—not just by remembering it, but by making it matter now and for the future.
“I would recommend all young people to participate in this. It is very real to see where something actually happened, it makes the past less distant. History at school is mainly about the rulers and the big story, but you don’t see the people. Here you do.”
— Loes Veeger, (19) Youth Actor for Theatre of Remembrance in Amsterdam
