REVIEW: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, from Tuesday, March 10 to Saturday, March 14, 2015.

SHMUEL’S grimy striped pyjamas may be ragged round the edges but definitely not this adaptation of John Boyne’s best-selling book which is currently on a world premiere theatre tour.

The story, which revolves around one particular area of the Holocaust and set in 1943, is told simply and with a stunning honesty that underlines the horrors inflicted upon fellow humans both before and during the Second World War.

Angus Jackson’s adaptation of what is described as a fable is a considerably reduced version of the original book and hugely emotional film. It still packs a punch however, although it could be argued it leans a touch towards a classroom lesson in its neatness and preciseness as scenes swiftly switch via projected artwork and captions on a back-drop.

The use of typewriter text tapping out the next segment simply added to the sinister atmosphere.

The fable centres on two nine-year-old boys whose lives are so very different on opposite sides of ‘the fence’ and through their innocent eyes it’s hard to watch without a feeling of anger and revulsion welling up inside at the actions and beliefs of the Nazis.

The two young actors playing those parts on Malvern’s opening night – Jabez Cheesman, as the would-be explorer Bruno, and Colby Mulgrew, the heart-rending rag doll Polish-Jew child, do a fine job between them in winning sympathy and embedding that feeling of friendship Shmuel has been deprived of for so long.

A great deal rests on their young shoulders and by and large they come up trumps as they show some fine timing and convincing expressive action. There were moments though when it was a struggle to catch some of their dialogue but it would be churlish to be too critical.

Born on the same day, they meet by accident at the razor and barbed wire fence around a concentration camp when a bored Bruno is on one of his explorations in search of a playmate. He inadvertently believes that where he and his family have moved to is called ‘Out-With’, with his father having been sent there by Hitler to be its camp commander.

After all you can’t say ‘no’ to the Fuhrer – or ‘the fury’ as Bruno miscalls the German war-time leader.

Bruno has no idea what’s happening on the other side of the fence and in some ways neither does Shmuel, apart from realising he is trapped there and the Germans hate him, and his kind, and treat them with utter contempt.

Bruno’s mother ensures a wholesome performance from Marianne Oldham as the switch from their comfy Berlin home to an austere setting in the middle of nowhere takes its toll on family life – driven to drink and infidelity as the grim reality of their situation is all too evident.

As the horror unfolds on the other side of that fence so Bruno’s family falls apart – the pressure on his father, the mother’s concerns and distrust, and the shock for all when a Jewish servant is violently attacked by a young lieutenant for a minor misdemeanour when waiting at the dinner table!

Solid performances here from Phil Cheadle, as the father, and Ed Brody as Kotler.

The seeds of doubt had already been sown by the family’s glamorous grandmother (Helen Anderson) at a party, when the former cabaret superstar launched a vilifying attack against her son for his oppressive and devoted role in the ranks of Hitler’s henchmen.

Then just when it seems there might be partial salvation with a return to Berlin for Bruno, his older sister Gretel and their mother, the thirst for exploration and a bond of friendship for life takes the boys on one adventure too far... and its dire consequences as evil sadly scores over innocence.

Directed towards a younger audience, this Children’s Touring Partnership production will still resonate with adults, particularly those of more mature years.

A fable it may well be but considerable truth in how it illustrates the best and worst of people and also provides another timely and unmissable lesson - during the anniversary period surrounding the First World War - of the misery and upheaval such wars inflict on those too young to comprehend and recognise true evil.