In the summer months before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, nearly 10,000 unaccompanied children, mostly Jewish, escaped Nazi Germany for Britain.

Most of them never saw their parents again because their parents were rounded up by Hitler's security police and transported to concentration camps, later to purpose-built death camps in eastern Poland.

How those orphans survived and adapted is the subject of Diane Samuels's poignant drama of discovery and revelation Kindertransport, which won two theatrical awards after it was first staged in 1993.

Character actress Eileen O'Brien, who has featured in many of television's popular soap operas and series, plays Lil, who takes in Eva, a nine-year-old refugee.

"I love playing Lil. She's warm, compassionate, feisty, strong, who knows what she's doing and why. She adopts Eva.

"The play travels through time from 1939 to 1985. I can't change my costume or my hair because I say a sentence in 1985 and literally the next one in 1939. So it's about changing attitude and movement.

"The play is set in the attic of Evelyn - the grown-up Eva who has lost her Jewishness - and reflects both 1939 and 1985. It looks quite believable because of the old furniture," she said.

On the surface the play would seem to symbolise the predicament of many immigrants today, especially those from Eastern Europe in Bradford.

"In a way there are more displaced people now than there have ever been. The play is more about the psychological impact of being displaced rather than the financial or political."

She was surprised when I said that many Polish expatriates in Bradford were able to adapt readily to the culture because of the presence of the Roman Catholic church and the history of Irish and Eastern European immigration since the 19th century.

"There's a lot of prejudice against believers and churchgoers, especially in television. It's considered cool to be a non-believer.

"The theatre is more tolerant, I think. Perhaps as an actor you have to sit on the fence in a way. A lot of our work is educational; you have to be very adaptable, you have to take on board other people's beliefs to play your part," she added.

Eileen, born in Liverpool 62 years ago, has lived in Hebden Bridge for the last 30 years and loves it. Her daughter, however, lives in Manchester and is about to move to London.

Because of Eileen's long track record in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, A Touch of Frost, Heartbeat, Peak Practice and EastEnders, she no longer feels anxious about where the next job is coming from.

"I don't have any panic about work any more. I just on and do the garden. The hardest times were when I had to stop acting because I had to be at home for my daughter. I found that hard because I was trying to work and care for Hannah.

"I always tried to keep going one way or another - whether it was radio or something else. I had to say no to the theatre at the time.

"I love this play. Shared Experience is an interesting company to work for. You are pushed and pushed. I have gone off plays that make me miserable.

"It's all right being miserable if it takes you somewhere, otherwise it's worthless," she added.

Kindertransport is on at West Yorkshire Playhouse from April 17 to 21, starting at 7.45pm. The box office number is 0113 213 7700.