Left - Walter Grkovic. Cover - Radek Jonak. Photos - Heidrun LöhrIt’s Mardi Gras Festival time once more and to kick it off with a bang, Focus Theatre and B Sharp have got together to present a real humdinger of a night out with Bent at Downstairs Belvoir.
Powerful, bittersweet, funny and at times gut-wrenching and devastating, Bent is quite simply a great piece of theatre. Written by gay, Jewish-American playwright Martin Sherman, it sheds light on the little-known, intensely harrowing plight of homosexuals in 1930s Nazi Germany. It’s a play that comes with quite a pedigree. When Bent made it’s main stage debut at the Royal Court Theatre, London in 1979, it was Ian McKellen who played the central character of Max; meanwhile on Broadway it was Richard Gere who stepped up for the role.
The play opens with Max (Radek Jonak), the young openly gay son of a wealthy family living the high life in Berlin and enjoying all the perks his youth provides. His partner Rudy (Garth Holcombe), a dancer, begrudgingly tolerates Max’s drunken forays which frequently involve picking up pretty, even younger, boys. While the two may have a few money issues (Max’s family aren’t supportive of his lifestyle choice) there seems to be plenty of love – it’s a charmed life. That is, until the SS stick their noses in and the couple find that they must hightail it out of Berlin if they want to survive.
What follows is stomach-twisting turmoil as the duo try to survive on their wits, evading their inevitable capture. When the Nazis do catch up with them it’s as brutal and chilling as you’d expect, with a heart-breaking human cost involved. But there’s no time to be sentimental as Max heads on to the concentration camp at Dacha discovering that through a bit of disturbing ingenuity he can score himself a Star of David rather than the obligatory pink triangle which is handed out to people the Nazis label as “perverts”, the lowest of the low.
Frequently it’s this kind of frank factual information about how gays were treated by the Nazis that is the most spine-chilling aspect of this play. For while we are used to hearing of the diabolical treatment of the Jews, it came as quite a shock to this reviewer to learn that there were others considered beneath them.
There’s a lot to like about this production. Strong riveting performances by all the leads. Most notably Radek Jonak’s intelligent and subtle portrayal of Max. Sam Haft is also incredibly likeable as Horst, Max’s new friend in the concentration camp; and the relationship that develops between the two runs the full gamut of emotions in an interaction that is in turns funny, sweet, moving and ultimately incredibly satisfying. John Turnbull provides wonderful comic relief as the charming Uncle Freddie, Max's closeted gay uncle. And Walter Grkovic makes a big impact in a short space of time as Greta, the cabaret singing drag queen. His rendition of ‘The Streets Of Berlin’ being a superb ghoulish highlight of the show.
Tom Bannerman’s concentration camp set excels in its minimalism, allowing for tense and focused performances as the actors lug around what appear to be really heavy pieces of sandstone. The riveting atmosphere is enhanced too by the searing heat generated by lighting designer Luiz Pampolha.
Director Pete Nettell and Associate director Alice Livingstone have worked in unison to create a perfect mix of performances that have the power to physically move you. This is must-see stuff!
Focus Theatre & B Sharp
Bent
by Martin Sherman
Directed by Pete Nettell
Venue: Belvoir St Downstairs Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills
Dates: Thursday 18 February – Sunday 14 March, 2010
Times: Tues 7pm, Wed-Sat 8.15pm, Sun 5.15pm
Tickets: $32/$24 (Preview $20, Cheap Tues Pay-what-you-can, min. $12)
Bookings: 9699 3444 | www.belvoir.com.au
Web: www.focustheatre.com.au
