What comes to mind when you see the colour pink? Could it be your childhood bedroom, barbie dolls, or perhaps the mass persecution of homosexual men in the concentration camps of WWII? Many do not know that gay men were liberated from concentration camps and subsequently sent back to prison for being gay. Micheal Trauffer brings this unjust history to light in the one-person musical, The Pink List.
Written and performed by Trauffer, keeping the attention of the room for one hour is no mean feat regardless of the subject matter, let alone having to perform through harrowing true stories and snap into singing and dancing at a moment’s notice. It might seem jarring that this horrifying story is presented as a musical, however it does work very well and adds a little bit of relief to an otherwise heavy and emotional show. Trauffer really can sing and every original song in the piece was fantastic. Trauffer’s performance as a real Holocaust survivor Karl brought multiple audience members to tears and you could have heard a pin drop in the 2lang theatre.
The atrocities committed in Nazi Germany occurred not even 100 years ago, and it can be easy to forget just how many people’s lives were affected and how these effects are still felt today. Karl, like many other homosexual holocaust survivors, was denied compensation by the German authorities because of his sexuality. Trauffer uses theatre and writing to remind people that homophobia is not an issue from the past and most importantly to remember the names on The Pink List: unveiled by Trauffer at the finale of the performance to applause, tears, and a standing ovation.
This is a must-watch at this year’s Fringe. Take a deep breath, and bring the tissues!
Ceri Taylor
