Hitler’s Li’l Abomination

American actress Annette Roman brings her debut solo show to the Fringe in the provocatively-named Hitler’s Li’l Abomination. This title, along with her swastika-emblazoned publicity material, make it pretty clear—as she readily admits—that she's aiming to put bums on seats with a little bit of sensationalist promotion. In truth, there's nothing notably offensive about her performance, and instead she presents a quirky and potentially interesting look at the emotional and psychological impact of WWII on those involved. 

On the surface, this is an interesting premise for a show. Roman's father is a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, and her mother a former member of Bund Deutscher Mädel – "Hitler Youth for girls." Hence the title – Roman reasonably considers herself to be the embodiment of what Hitler would have found abominable. 

A mostly autobiographical tale, Roman recounts several stories from both her childhood and adulthood—such as her father's Holocaust bedtime stories, and an aunt's swastika-adorned kitchen knife—in the form of reasonably arresting characterisations, interspersed with some deliberations on the philosophical nature of these events. Her parents make up the bulk of her performance, and she manages to paint a fairly vivid picture of them.

Unfortunately, the show is also littered with throwaway minor characters who seem wholly unnecessary. Coupled with the nonlinear timeline—Roman frequently flips between her present life in California and arbitrary points in her past—the narrative becomes unclear and difficult to follow.

There's no doubt Roman has an interesting tale to tell. But without a solid sense of story and structure, we're left with little idea of what it is.