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Hannah and Martin at the Courtyard Theatre |
West End theatre| Hannah and Martin |
Courtyard Theatre review| Set in 1946 during Nuremberg Trials
HANNAH AND MARTIN
Courtyard Theatre
AN older, married, Nazi-sympathising tutor and a naïve, impressionable Jewish student is a recipe for a troublesome relationship.
And that is just what German philosopher Martin Heidegger and his protégé Hannah Arendt get.
Heidegger and Arendt began their love affair in the 1920s, before his anti-Semitic attitudes emerged and she had established herself as a political thinker.
Set in 1946 during the Nuremberg Trials, Hannah and Martin recounts their tryst through the years of the Nazi uprising in a series of flashbacks.
Initially, it is unclear what Heidegger sees in Arendt.
As the young Hannah, Vivienne Rowdon displays slightly exaggerated enthusiasm and naïvety; their first love scene is rushed and awkward and there is no time to understand the attraction.
But as the relationship evolves, Rowdon – captivating as the older, wiser Hannah – brilliantly encapsulates her character’s enthusiasm and admiration for Heidegger.
Kate Fodor’s script combines raw emotions with fascinating philosophical ideas, helping the audience understand how such an intelligent man could sympathise with the Nazis.
We learn that Heidegger was used by Hitler to “articulate the higher purpose of the movement”, a concept he later realises could not exist.
Greg Patmore is a convincing Heidegger. He steals the penultimate scene when the lovers confront one another after years apart – an ill, fragile man face to face with a stronger, determined Hannah, tormented by his intractable beliefs and the realisation he has been used by the Nazis.
The American actors in the cast struggle slightly with English accents but are saved by the sharp, thought-provoking script.
Pat Garrett’s direction makes good use of the simple space, ensuring the most powerful and interesting character, Hannah, can unfurl slowly in front of the audience.
It is a powerful, emotional performance.
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