Theatre / Reviews
Review: Mephisto, Loco Klub – ‘Incendiary cast ignite German masterpiece’
This incendiary ensemble balances humour with a harrowing gravity, nurturing strong emotions with a variety of demeanour, striking with revolutionary effect in this Nazi Germany-set rendition of Klaus Mann’s magnum opus: Mephisto.
The cast, with witty but powerful performances from Anna McAuley and Clara Wessely, and stern and moving displays from communist-turned-Nazi thespian protagonist Hendrik Höfgen – played in this version, written and adapted by Ariane Mnouchkine, by Philip Bayntun – is reason enough to catch the revolutionary German classic at the Loco Klub this summer.
The cast put on witty but powerful performances
While the immersive experience is novel and uniquely engaging, Mnouchkine’s eager trigger finger to change the setting, or perhaps director Georgina Sowerby’s overenthusiastic use of the four stage rooms at the Loco Klub, risks upstaging the excellent cast, with never quite enough time to settle in one room. The immersion itself becomes a distraction, especially across a 3-hour performance.
is needed now More than ever
Mann’s masterpiece offers a rich, comprehensive view of German society on the cusp of World War II, illustrating the internal conflicts of ordinary people and how like-minded people could be at ends over the perceived dangers of the rise of National Socialism.
The piece markedly takes in the revolutionary communist, and less reformist concerns of a group of thespians in disagreements with one another between 1926 and 1936.
Mann’s masterpiece offers a rich, comprehensive view of German society on the cusp of WWII
The piece particularly homes in on Hendrik Höfgen – a communist at heart – and his pursuit of opportunistic fame over values, becoming the Nazi theatrical administrator, by order of Hitler himself, defying all his beliefs and values. Höfgen’s story is based on Mann’s own feud with friend-turned-Nazi-rival Gustaf Gründgens.
Mnouchkine’s adaptation, spanning those ten years, despite keeping the audience attentively mobile, excellently stirs as Hitler’s creeping presence grows over time.
It’s ideal casting, particularly for Liam Hickey and Michael Cowan, who shine in their contrasting performances depicting the varying reactions to Hitler’s rise.
Cowan’s perfected period countenance, and at times aristocratic air, would allow him to triumph in many such pieces. One can imagine him as Mr Birling from An Inspector Calls.
The ensemble balance humour with a harrowing gravity
Mnouchkine (and Klaus Mann, of course) incites these Priestly-reminiscent performances with Aldo Vázquez’s rugged yet poised set design, perfectly suggestive of an underground rebellious potentiality.
Mephisto’s best scene, featuring Wessely and McAuley as a knee-slapping duo, sees them practicing their satirical piece poking fun of the logic behind Nazi hatred.
A German aristocrat “educates” her maid, both literally pig-nosed, on the nuisance that are telephones. Citing a news article, she calls them ‘the fiends of progress and intelligence’.
Mephisto’s best scene pokes fun at the logic behind Nazi hatred
Performed with wit and slapstick sequences, the scene mocking the Nazi rationale for blaming their problems on the Jews is both funny and poignant. Yet the scene powerfully illustrates too the flaws with the opposition and rebellion cause at the time, how certain tactics didn’t convince the populace to vote against the Nazis when it was most needed.
Alas, in Mnouchkine’s adaptation, the plot can get easily lost.
With several cast members employing multiple characters, with said characters’ names being uttered few and far between, it is hard to know who was talking to who, and why. With the frequent relocation of the audience, some scenes that could have been striking lost their impact.
At times it was difficult to keep track of who was talking to who and why
Two of the stage rooms had a stage both in front and behind the audience, forcing head-turning as yet another locomotor exercise imposed upon the experience.
These somewhat ostentatious techniques culminate in a rocky evening of theatre that aims to deliver unique immersion in an already complex play.
Admirably ambitious, but ultimately overbearing.
Mephisto is at the Loco Klub until July 5. Tickets are available from oldvic.ac.uk/events-shows/mephisto/
All photos: Edward J Felton
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