Blonde Poison

Blonde Poison follows the outstanding story of Stella Goldschlag (Belinda Giblin) – a blonde Jewess turned griefer or Gestapo spy – and the dark and turbulent times of World War II and its devastating toll on the human spirit. Based on a true story, the narrative re-examines the price of survival during war and how far one may go to save their family.

The act opens to present-day Germany where we meet Stella for the first time. She is agitated, fidgety and nervous as she paces around her rundown flat and questions why her schoolboy-admirer-now-respected journalist wants to conduct an interview with her. Stella audits her looks – from her teeth, to her hair, to her body – and is proud of her disciplined diet of salad, cheese and salami, bragging about her overall appearance to a photo of her parents.

Looking beyond how vain and proud Stella is, it is clear something more damaging lingers in her consciousness as she recounts her experiences in World War II. Stella retells the horrors of living illegally in war-torn Berlin and hiding from the Gestapo until she is ultimately captured and tortured into turning over evidence to the secret police. Although resilient, she is no match for the Nazis and agrees to become a griefer in order to save her parents from concentration camps.

Surprisingly, Stella enjoyed holding people’s lives in her hands, the thrill of killing and becoming romantically entangled with a Gestapo officer to the point where it consumed her even after her parents were sent to their death. There is even a moment where she relishes the titles of ‘blonde poison’ and prides her beauty on keeping her lucky during the darkest days. But as Stella defends and rationalises her actions, it is clear she is still traumatised by what she had done.

Stella spirals out of control as she relives her past and questions if she can escape it, but is that possible?

Belinda Giblin is phenomenal in her nuanced portrayal of Stella – from a loving and faithful daughter, to a vivacious young woman and to a damaged and war survivor (or criminal?) – and captures your attention from the onset. Giblin’s mannerisms were amazing and the script was clever to weave together the past and present.

Giblin is a star act and delivers a performance of what you expect from one of Australia’s leading stage and screen actors; she brings to life Stella and the treachery and harsh times experienced in World War II.

Blonde Poison 
The Lawler, 140 Southbank Blvd, Southbank
Till Saturday, 11 June
mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/other-companies/blonde-poison