‘It was easy to cast Hitler but no one wanted to play Herzl’

The wonderful thing about fringe festivals is that they allow theatre makers to push boundaries, to experiment and to educate their audiences.

The World of Yesterday, playing at the Courtyard theatre this week, as part of the Camden Fringe festival, is a show that both entertains and informs.

Written and directed by Jewish playwright Anya Ostrovskaia, it tells the story of acclaimed Austrian Jewish writer Stefan Zweig, who was one of the most popular and most translated writers in the world.

“I wanted to use Stefan’s story to hold a mirror to the world of today,” said Anya, who was born in Russia to Ukrainian parents. “I left Russia when I was 17 because I saw what was happening there. I could not stay in a country like that. I decided to come to London to study because I love the work of Dickens and the other great authors and playwrights.

“I had read some of Stefan’s novels as a teenager, then, three years ago I read, in both Russian and English, his book The World of Yesterday. Then Russia invaded Ukraine and I thought this is happening again. History keeps repeating itself, but people are just not getting the memo. And when October 7 happened, I realised no-one is caring about humanity.

“I like to write from both a historical and political perspective and I wrote this play for the audience to see the present through the lens of the past.”

For Anya, who has family living in Israel, October 7th has been a huge turning point, not only personally, but also professionally.

“I see the impact it has had on people’s attitudes,” she said.

The performance is set in the 20th century, Stefan lived from 1881-1942, and Anna posted on social media for actors to be cast as Hitler and also another to play Theodor Herzl.

“Put it like this,” she said: “I had plenty of people contacting me wanting to play Hitler, but with Herzl, well, let’s just say, it was a very different story.”

The play is directed by Anya and tells the familiar tale of the Second World War but in a very different way. The World of Yesterday uses a simple set to create a cabaret feel. The performance opens with the traditional Yiddish song Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen and music punctuates the show. Acted by a talented ensemble cast, with projection and props, using clever dramatic touches, the audience is taken on a fascinating journey that starts with the Dreyfus affair.

The World of Yesterday, age rating 12+, plays at the Courtyard Theatre until Sunday 25 August. www.camdenfringe.com