An experimental exploration of the trauma that bonds us, and the family that holds us
Amit Noy brings together three generations of his Jewish Israeli family to explore the trauma of the Holocaust through dance, tense and playful physical interactions, and parody songs. The piece asks whether the suffering of our families affects us now, and if so, how do we inhabit physical space in, through and around this?
Amit Noy, alongside his parents (Ilan and Liora Noy) and sister (Maytal Noy), appear together, separated and in pairs throughout the piece, depicting an interplay between the various relationships within the family unit. His grandmother, Belina Neuberger, appears via video to discuss her experiences of remembering or avoiding reminders of the Holocaust, while his sister uses musical theatre to explore her complex feelings about her body and womanhood. These two women are instrumental in asking a core question: whether or not our bodies hold the trauma of our ancestors, and how we can become carriers of this without allowing it to control or direct our lives.
Amit is a gifted dancer, and utilises humour and movement to depict a range of universal human experiences. The staging, costuming and sound design juxtaposed moments of levity with those of seriousness, vulnerability and emotional gravitas.
Amit Noy uses his family’s inexperience with performance as a strength, giving them space to move and exist on the stage in ways that felt authentic and lived-in. It was clear that the less experienced family members had become comfortable in their roles, not only with each other as performers, but with the stage and audience itself. When asked in a post-show discussion if the piece felt “exposing” to the actors, they all but one agreed that it had, with Ilan (Amit’s father) matter-of-factly revealing that he felt only pressure to uphold his performance for his family, and did not in fact mind the audience reaction. In hindsight, this comment concisely highlights the strength of the show— the relationships between the family members and their palpable concern for and lightness with one another.
There were some moments throughout the piece that felt disconnected, and at these times it was difficult to connect the threads in order to make meaning from the moments occurring on stage. This was a deeply personal performance, and as an onlooker, it was both exciting and, at some points, disconcerting, to feel as if the audience were peering in on a private familial moment.
Ultimately, Amit’s ‘A Big Big Room Full of Everybody’s Hope’ is a performance that, despite a few confusing moments, largely is effective in highlighting the importance of the body, family, and connectedness with history.