News

Bent

by Martin Sherman

Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham

2 November


When Bent premiered 25 years ago it caused a sensation, highlighting the largely ignored Nazi persecution of gay people in Germany from 1934. As much an education as a drama (it taught us that the Nazis labelled gays with a pink triangle - a symbol now of gay pride) the play has been gloriously revived in this touring production by Graeae - a professional theatre company of disabled people, writes Graham Hopkins.

We follow the decadent and selfish Max as the Nazis mark their coming to power by deporting homosexuals to a concentration camp. By betraying his lover on the train to Dachau (and later raping an underage girl), Max convinces the SS guards that he's straight and is labelled with a Jewish yellow star rather than a pink triangle. In Dachau he meets and falls in love with Horst, whose ultimate death jolts Max into finally acknowledging his identity.

Jenny Sealey's astonishing production features two disabled actors for each of the main parts, allowing for a deaf actor to sign while the co-actor provides the voice. The claustrophobic set lends a balletic quality (complemented by the cello accompaniment) that is supercharged with powerful performances by the leads. Donal Toolan (voice of Horst) and Milton Lopes (voice of Max) in particular were mesmerising and should be lording it in mainstream theatre rather than peaking over the fence from a disabled theatrical ghetto. A noble production.

• Bent can be seen at Arts Depot, London N12 (19-20 November) and Drum Theatre, Plymouth (23-27 November).