What happens when war shatters lives and strangers become family? Help, I’ll Help! explores hope, pain and unexpected bonds, says SAKSHI PRIYA
Who truly offers help and who accepts it with grace? This question remained with the audience long after the final scene of Help, I’ll Help! The play is not simply a story about refugees and hosts, but an exploration of the complexities, unspoken tensions and emotional collisions that arise when strangers are brought under the same roof by circumstances beyond their control. It challenges viewers to reconsider their assumptions about generosity, obligation and the fragile nature of human kindness.
Presented by the Baltazar Theatre of Hungary in collaboration with the Liszt Institute Delhi, Help, I’ll Help! features a unique ensemble. The Baltazar Theatre is Hungary’s only professional theatre company composed entirely of mentally disabled actors. Their presence on stage defies theatrical conventions and prejudices. They do not perform as tokens of inspiration or pity, but with remarkable professionalism, emotional depth and artistic integrity. The performance removes any emphasis on disability, instead highlighting the raw talent and the authenticity of expression that these actors bring to the stage. The narrative centres on two families caught in the turmoil of war and displacement. A Ukrainian researcher and her blind son escape the horrors of the Russian invasion that has left their home in ruins. The mother’s husband remains behind, fighting to defend their country, while she seeks refuge across the border in Hungary. Because they come from the Transcarpathian region and speak Hungarian, they reach out to a Hungarian scientist, a former acquaintance with whom the mother once shared a brief connection.
The scientist, driven by a sense of moral duty and old memories, offers shelter without consulting his wife. This impulsive act disrupts the equilibrium of their home. The wife’s reaction is a complex mixture of shock, resentment and helplessness. Their teenage daughter is caught in the middle-torn between sympathy and frustration, loyalty and rebellion. The play carefully captures the emotional and psychological strain that sudden responsibility imposes on individuals and families, especially when the guests are traumatised and the hosts feel unprepared.
The portrayal of these characters avoids caricature or simplification. The refugee mother carries her loss with dignity, her silence often speaks louder than words. The blind son, portrayed with remarkable sensitivity, communicates through music and song alongside the host family’s daughter. Their shared moments of singing, accompanied by the music composed by Edina Szirtes and performed live with percussion, become sanctuaries of hope and connection in an otherwise tense atmosphere.
Director Kriszta Kováts creates a space where no character is entirely right or wrong. Instead, the audience witnesses people grappling with ethical dilemmas and conflicting emotions-fear, compassion, resentment, guilt, and love. The subtle yet powerful scenography by Andrea Ruttka reflects the slowly fracturing domestic space. The set transforms from a place of safety into a contested zone, mirroring the internal conflict of the inhabitants.
The strength of Help, I’ll Help! lies in its refusal to offer easy answers or neat resolutions. The tension on stage is not resolved by grand gestures but through the quiet persistence of everyday struggles.
The play exposes how help, when given without consent or full understanding, can create new wounds. It challenges the audience to consider the cost of goodwill when it is not mutual, and how generosity can sometimes become an imposition rather than a gift. One of the most striking aspects of the play is the way it captures adolescence under strain. The teenage daughter and the blind boy represent the emotional core of the story. Their developing relationship, conveyed largely through song, reveals the power of youthful innocence and resilience. It also suggests that communication and empathy can transcend physical and emotional barriers. These musical moments, far from being mere interludes, are essential to the narrative’s emotional texture.
Help, I’ll Help! invites its viewers to reflect on what it means to be human in situations of crisis and displacement. It does not seek to educate or preach but to hold a mirror to society’s complexities. The
play questions the neat binaries of victim and saviour and exposes the discomfort often hidden behind acts of charity. This play encourage viewers to engage deeply with themes of empathy, belonging and moral responsibility.
Redefining Artistry
The play stands out as a profoundly humane piece of theatre. It does not rely on melodrama or spectacle but finds its power in the authenticity of the performers and the delicacy of the storytelling.
It adds another layer of depth and significance to the work, challenging audiences to confront their own biases about ability and artistry.
Unseen Strength
Watching Help, I’ll Help! was one of those rare moments in theatre when I felt not like a spectator, but a silent participant, caught between the weight of war and the warmth of human connection. It felt like life unfolding in all its messy, unresolved and deeply moving layers. What struck me most was the sincerity. There was no attempt to manipulate emotions or dramatise
the refugee crisis into some neatly packaged tragedy. The story gently, allowing each character’s pain and dilemma to surface naturally.
