Steven Spielberg expresses ‘admiration’ for ‘inspirational’ East Yorkshire theatre project. A timely reminder of the historic fight against fascism.

World premiere performance:

Thursday 5th September 2024, 7.30pm at East Riding Theatre in Beverley

Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg has sent his best wishes to a Beverley based documentary producer for his forthcoming theatre presentation to receive its world premiere in East Yorkshire at the beginning of September.

“Harold’s War tells the story of a Hull boy’s battle for Britain against the Nazis together with his brothers, extended family and friends,” explains producer Jonathan Levy.

The timely production not only charts all the events of World War Two through family experiences but also recalls the rising tensions in mainland Europe and at home in Britain.

It includes the ‘Battle of Corporation Field’ in Hull in 1936 when the British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley and his ‘Black Shirts’ were seen off by 10,000 dockers, railway workers and other anti-fascists and members of the local Jewish community.

The project is based around interviews with Harold and other family members nearly 30 years ago for a school project by Jonathan’s son Daniel.

Although those featured are no longer alive their recorded testimony is their legacy and is being made public for the first time together with live narration and dramatised sequences of conversations recreated and letters exchanged.

The original project was praised by Steven Spielberg after he was sent a copy for the Shoah Foundation archive of survivor stories. He has now reemphasised his admiration for the project by sending his best wishes for this new ground breaking production.

In a message from his office at Amblin Partners Mr Spielberg expressed his: “Warmest admiration for continuing to craft a beautiful and touching tribute to the memory of your family.

“Projects like these are truly inspirational! More importantly, they honour the generation who lived through such dark times.

“We all wish you the very best for what will undoubtedly be a very moving performance.”

Harold may be better remembered locally as a former director at Hull City AFC and his national sports advertising business that he founded in Hull with his son Richard.

“Harold Bermitz was my father-in-law and the youngest son of refugee immigrants who had arrived in Hull via a boat from the Baltic in the early 20th century to escape violent pogroms, as had my own grandparents,” adds Jonathan.

“The stimulus to create this production started last year as I became aware of the growing support for extreme right-wing movements in Europe, together with disturbing global events, conflicts and geopolitical volatility.

“The recent riots have only reinforced these concerns. They are essentially modern-day pogroms but the overwhelming anti-fascist and anti-racism response is heart warming and resonates with the stand taken in Hull back in the 1930s.”

Harold’s War has its world premiere performance at East Riding Theatre (ERT) in Beverley on 5th September at 7.30pm.

It will be captured as a radio-style podcast recording in front of a theatre audience as the focus for an educational pack which will include more extensive learning resources.

Among the local cast of actors will be Hannah Levy - Harold’s granddaughter, Hull born Robert Wade, plus Richard Avery, who is also the project’s co-producer and Artistic Director at ERT. Jonathan Levy is an award-winning documentary producer who will narrate the production which he has also written.

Tickets are £18 (Concessions £15) available from the ERT box office at 

https://www.eastridingtheatre.co.uk/

or telephone 01482 874050