As rehearsals continue for The German Girls in preparation for its Camden Fringe debut, we spoke to London-based Danish writer and actress Christina Tranholm about sharing the hidden stories of Danish women who fell in love with German soldiers during the Second World War – and how relevant it still is today. This premiere play runs 15 to 18 August 2018 at London’s Lion & Unicorn Theatre. Time to get booking!
Set in occupied Denmark in 1940, The German Girls tells the story of Ingrid, a young Danish woman who falls in love with Mathias, a young German soldier deployed by the Wehrmacht. It is through the story of their relationship that a different angle of the events that took place during World War II can be explored.
How did the Danish resistance counteract the Nazi occupation? And what were the consequences of the 50,000+ women who, like Ingrid, engaged with members of the Wehrmacht?
For years to come in the aftermath of the liberation in 1945, the numbers of women who came to experience the double standards the Danish held against their own young women were downplayed in an attempt to alter history.
As well as writing The German Girls, Christina Tranholm stars as Ingrid and is joined by Liam Harkins (as Mathias), Sara Hoopell, Briony McCarthy, George Whitehead and Rachel Laboucarie. The premiere production is directed by Michelle Payne.
Talking to… Christina Tranholm
Actress, producer and writer Christina Tranholm
Christina Tranholm is a Danish, London-based actress, writer and producer. She is a graduate of The National Film Actors Academy of Denmark.
How did you first learn about the role Danish women played during the Second World War?
I have always had what I can best describe as an insatiable interest in the history surrounding World War Two, along with a desire to find and discover different angles to a story that’s been retold many times over the past 73 years. I wanted to write and create a piece with substantial characters for women, and for myself as an actress, in a WWII drama under some shape or form.
Many years ago, I came across ‘Malena’, an Italian wartime comedy-drama, written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Watching that is what initially sparked my interest in exploring what part Danish women played during the war. Bearing in mind that Denmark was occupied by Germany throughout the conflict, the set-up differed slightly compared to other countries like Britain, where the women were left to take over what was largely considered ‘men’s jobs’ as the men went off to fight in the war. In Denmark, life carried on to some extent, as the general population was trying to adapt and were encouraged to cooperate with the German Wehrmacht.
Malen, the 2000 film by Giuseppe Tornatore
What research did you do for The German Girls?
In addition to reading several articles, watching documentaries and films about the war, I’ve based the majority of my research around the book ‘Tyskerpiger’ (German Girls) by Danish author and professor Annette Warring. In the late nineties, Waring anonymously interviewed several women who had been involved with German soldiers during the occupation.
I’ve particularly enjoyed the research process, and how old family memories have been revived, for instance through conversations with my grandmother, who was born in 1940. Although she was only five years old, when the war came to an end, she still vividly remembers how the women who had been romantically involved with members of the Wehrmacht were chased down the streets and publicly humiliated as punishment for their betrayal, even in the small town she was brought up in.
Tell us about your character Ingrid.
She is a hard-working young woman, who has a strong sense of morals, leading a relatively isolated life in a small village outside Odense (the third-largest city in Denmark). Like most of us, she is a bit of dreamer. What I like most about Ingrid, and hopefully will honour in my portrayal of her when we’re performing, is the contrast in her youthful innocence with her strength.
The German Girls in rehearsal
Why did you want to premiere The German Girls at Camden Fringe?
I think Camden Fringe Festival is a great platform and a stepping stone, particularly for someone like me who is having a lot of ‘first-time’ experiences in this process, one of them is producing. Camden Fringe provides a lot of helpful resources for their participants, all of which I couldn’t have managed without. Also, the deadlines for the applications have definitely helped me staying on track throughout. It’s a great and supportive community, I am happy and proud to be part of.
What are your plans for the play beyond the festival?
In the near future, I’d love to do a longer run, take the show on tour across the UK and eventually put it on in Denmark. Further down the line I would love to adapt the script, and make it a feature film.
Anything else you’d like to add?
What I’m hoping to communicate, but also challenge the audience with, is the complexity within this topic. I think the story is very relevant now, as we still to this day in society, will happily label people, be it individuals, minorities or larger groups for our own convenience, instead of questioning the prejudices and trying to see or understand things from a different perspective. At the time, and for years to come after the war, the ‘German Girls’ were deemed as loose, unintelligent and most significantly as traitors, for quite literally sleeping with the enemy, which all things considered is understandable, but not entirely true and by no means, as simple as that. The punishment that took place, in the aftermath of the liberation became a statement, where the women paid the highest price. What I would want for the audience, is to be able to relate to Ingrid and not just deem her a victim of her own actions, but simply seeing a different side to the story.
