The Land of the Living

All my life, all your life, I've struggled with this - was what I did 'wrong'?

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.

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.

David Lan's remarkable play explores the shapeshifting nature of memory and morality. It opened at the National Theatre, London, in September 2025.