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London Review
London ReviewBerlin Hanover Express
| I see corpses walking.— O’Kane
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Owen McDonnell as O’Kane and Isla Carter as Christe (Photo: Nobby Clark) |
The title alludes to the train line which, when O’Kane discovers the truth about the death camps, he wonders which station he would get off at to ask about Bergen-Belsen or would he be arrested? The plot hinges on which man does the right thing by the fugitive Jewish cook, the man who sticks to the rules or the feckless chancer?
Michael Rudman directs. The performances are very competent with Sean Campion as the upright bureaucrat and Owen McDonnell as the irresponsible prat. Peter Moreton as Kollvitz snaps out his words as he becomes less friendly and more openly threatening. Isla Carter as Christe is asked to strip by Moreton and in the middle of this asserts her independence from the voyeur by deciding what she will do next and taking control of the powerplay designed to humiliate her. Interesting. In between scenes there is wonderful footage from the great German filmmakers like Leni Reifenstahl of Nazi marches on a monumental scale through newsreel footage of the devastation of the bombing of Cologne.
The first act is part of a slow burn but necessary for the final act denouement. The issue of neutrality is one which provokes intense debate and brings to mind the words of Edmund Burke, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
| Berlin Hanover Express
Written by Ian Kennedy Martin Directed by Michael Rudman Starring: Sean Campion With: Isla Carter, Owen McDonnell, Peter Moreton Design: Paul Farnsworth Lighting: David Howe Sound: Colin Pink Running time: Two hours 10 minutes with an interval Box Office: 020 7722 9301 Booking to 4th April 2009 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 10th March 2009 performance at Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London NW3 (Tube: Swiss Cottage) |
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