In Stephen Poliakoff’s Perfect Strangers it’s noted that, “If you take any family and get them together… the stories will come tumbling out.” In the case of pianist Roger Peltzman, not only was his mother haunted by those ‘left behind’ in 1930s Europe, Peltzman himself is ‘haunted’ by the same, absent relatives who ‘disappeared’ under the most oppressive circumstances… Using his one-man show as a way of catharsis, Peltzman’s odyssey draws upon his own personal past, as well as his parents and finds parallels with his uncle, Norbert Stern.
In Dedication – which is directed Jessi D. Hill – Peltzman instantly builds a rapport with the audience, as he takes them into his confidence with regards to his own personal anecdotes, as well as perhaps the less flattering sides of familial behaviour.
One thing that comes across in Peltzman’s relaying of his mother’s experiences is how her younger days coloured her way of looking at life. Once you’ve witnessed first-hand the dark, underbelly of human nature and the varying degrees of insidious prejudice that lets malignant actions thrive in society, you can’t ‘unsee’ it. For Peltzman, being told what happened to his mother’s family during a routine trip to buying a Beatles record, leads to the ‘scales falling from his eyes’. The atmosphere at home when growing up now made perfect sense… And much like a child loses their ‘innocence’ when they they feel first-hand the death of a loved one, Peltzman can appreciate the change in his mother and himself when unexpected loss shapes your worldview.
It is, however, of Peltzman’s uncle Norbert that Peltzman finds the greatest connection, sadness and – and dare I say it – ‘comfort’. An accomplished classical pianist, Norbert had all the bearings of one of the all-time greats. It is also Peltzman’s affinity for Norbert that sparked the genesis of Dedication in the first place and the organic link between the musical junctures of the show.
Music-wise, Peltzman’s repertoire encompasses a range of genres, from a smattering of blues and jazz to established classical compositions from the likes of Chopin.
Dedication broaches material that is meaningful in a social and person context, yet never loses sight of being ‘entertaining’ and making a connection with its audience.
© Michael Davis 2023
Dedication runs at Marylebone Theatre from 7th to 24th June (2.30pm and 7.30pm).
Breaking The Fourth Wall 