REVIEW: Bent

I will admit that, previous to this evening, I had never seen Bent or a Minotaur Theatre Company production. However, after this, I am a firm fan of both.

Originally directed by Martin Sherman and set in pre-war Germany, Bent focuses on three homosexual men and their hopes of love as they fight for survival at the hands of the Nazis. Max (Tom Wingfield) and Rudy (Elliot Hughes) are lovers living in Berlin when, on the Night of the Long Knives, they come under the radar of Hitler’s men. After spending two years on the run, they are finally caught and taken to a detention camp. It is here that the love story progresses, with Max falling in love with Horst (Jonathan Moss) as they attempt to survive in brutal working conditions under watchful eyes.

The play itself is absolutely stunning. Not only do the actors do this justice in their emotionality, but the Minotaur Theatre Company’s use of staging, lighting and props allows you to feel as though you’re sitting in the West End, not the UEA Drama Studio.

The chemistry between Max and Rudy as lovers is spot-on. Wishing to portray the bickering ways of an old married couple, Wingfield and Hughes pull it off perfectly. The humour in the play itself is unexpected, but incredibly welcoming, as it occasionally takes your mind from the fact that stories like these actually took place. On the note of humour, I have to praise Elliot Ruocco-Trenouth, who played Wolf, for entering in what appeared to be a leather jockstrap and nothing else. The physical and verbal humours complimented one another perfectly throughout the play, and I don’t think this could have been accomplished with other actors – the professionalism shone through, and I take my hat off to every single one of them (or not, as the case may be at the climax of the play!).

The love between Max and Horst is on an entirely different level to Max and Rudy. This spiritual connection is easily admired by the audience, finding love in one of the most oppressive regimes in history is portrayed with a beautiful desperation by the two actors, giving an exquisitely emotional effect. Whilst the humour is still there (Horst is an absolutely hilarious character) this is definitely the part of the play where you’ll be scrambling for a box of Kleenex.

The historical accuracy of the play makes it all the more shattering. The accounts of Max and Horst, as well as the accounts of other characters highlight the oppressive, twisted regime of the Nazis. The talk with Max’s uncle Freddie (Josh Allan) in the park is particularly eye-opening, as is the conversation with club owner Greta (Ashley Fullerton. The play is all the more brilliant for it and the fear instilled by the Nazis (all played by girls, a brilliant choice by the director!) is made clear. The combination of the script, the actors and the production team allows you to be left on the edge of your seat for the majority of the play. It is, in all honesty, flawless.

I thought that Bent would be overly depressing or incredibly distasteful. Instead, the production manages to leave you in a mess of different emotions. It’s desperately thoughtful, incredibly well-performed and devastatingly heartbreaking. This is definitely a play to go and see. I could not recommend it, or the Minotaur Theatre Company, more.

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