The Land of the Living

<p><i>All my life, all </i>your<i> life, I’ve struggled with this – </i><i>was what I did ‘wrong’?</i><br><br>Germany, 1945. Thomas, one of thousands of children stolen by the Nazis from Eastern Europe during WWII, is under the care of Ruth, a UN relief worker. She must choose whether to try to find his parents or leave him with those he’s grown up with. The choice she makes will shape his life.<br><br>London, 1990. Years later, Thomas visits Ruth. As they untangle the past, the decisions Ruth made as a very young woman are called powerfully into question.<br><br>David Lan’s remarkable play explores the shapeshifting nature of memory and morality. It opened at the National Theatre, London, in September 2025.</p>