The great-granddaughter of one of the leading prosecutors at the Nuremberg Trials will share her family's remarkable story at Liverpool Hope University as part of a special event commemorating 80 years since the historic proceedings.
David Maxwell Fyfe, who served as MP for Liverpool West Derby for almost 20 years, played a pivotal role in bringing leading Nazi war criminals to justice following the Second World War. As Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, he famously cross-examined Hermann Göring before going on to help draft the European Convention on Human Rights.
Now, eight decades later, his descendants are bringing his story back to life through Dreams of Peace and Freedom, a moving musical production inspired by his personal correspondence and experiences.
The performance will form part of Liverpool Hope University's Nuremberg 80 Conference on Sunday 25 October, bringing together history, music and personal testimony to explore the enduring legacy of the trials.
Speaking ahead of the event, Maxwell Fyfe's great-granddaughter, Lily Casson, who is the lead singer and speaks her great grandmother's words in the production, said: "It's really exciting to take the production back to Liverpool again. It feels like one of the homes of our project, so it's great to have this opportunity, and it’s exciting working with Liverpool Hope University as well."
The family's creative project began after a remarkable discovery in 1999, when Maxwell Fyfe's grandson, theatre director Tom Blackmore, was contacted about a collection of his grandfather's personal papers. Among the documents were love letters exchanged between Maxwell Fyfe and his wife Sylvia during the Nuremberg Trials, offering a unique insight into their lives during one of the most significant legal proceedings in history.
The letters inspired Tom Blackmore's play Making History, and subsequently Dreams of Peace and Freedom, written by composer Sue Casson. The family production combines original correspondence, poetry and music to explore the personal experiences behind the historic trials.
Lily said: "I think one of the things we've discovered is that it's not a very known piece of history, so it's important that there are ways of bringing that alive. From a young age, I was aware that my great-grandfather played an important part in history, but it’s only as I got older that I gained a real understanding of how momentous his actions were. The words that we use in this production are his own. They come from his personal papers and capture his personal experiences during this time making it a very human-led piece that hopefully people can resonate with.”
Although born in Edinburgh, Maxwell Fyfe developed deep connections with Liverpool, working as a barrister in the city and representing West Derby in Parliament. It was also in Liverpool that he met his wife Sylvia Harrison, who grew up in Huyton. While her husband was working in Nuremberg, Sylvia took on much of his constituency work, maintaining the family's connection with the city throughout the trials.
One particularly poignant moment in the adaptation comes from a letter Sylvia wrote to her husband ahead of his cross-examination of Göring, telling him: "You are making history in a real way."
For Lily, sharing her great grandfather’s story is not just about remembering the past, but ensuring that the lessons of history remain relevant to future generations. Looking ahead to the conference, Lily said: "The world at the moment is a complex place and it's so important that people see history as something that involves real people at the heart of it. I hope that the story is brought to the forefront of people’s minds. Most importantly, I hope they're able to understand a bit more about what happened from a personal perspective and why it matters today."
The Nuremberg 80 Conference will take place at Liverpool Hope University 2:30pm –5pm on Sunday 25 October 2026.
For further information and to book tickets, visit the Nuremberg 80 Conference booking page.