Hitler

An Evening with Adolf Hitler

By Jennifer Compton

Directed by Jan Prettejohns Downstage

Downstage's Halfway Up is back in action again, thank God. An Evening With Adolf Hitler is set in the Fuehrer's bunker underneath the Reich Chancellory on April 28, 1945, two days before he and Eva Braun committed suicide.

Every word in the play was written or spoken by Hitler himself, and it's pretty frightening. For one hour the total, impassioned and yet deeply reasoned beliefs on which he built his regime are revealed to us.

"I have achieved more in German history than it was given to any other German to bring about. And—mark you—not by force. I am borne forward by the love of my people".

"What luck it is for rulers that men do not think". "The man who is born to be dictator is not compelled; he wills it. He is not driven forward but drives himself."

"There are two possibilities for me; to win through with all my plans, or to fail. If I win, I shall be one of the greatest men in history. If I fail I shall be condemned, despised and damned. When my time comes you shall hear from me".

"What you tell people in the mass, in a receptive state of fantastic devotion will remain words received under a hypnotic influence, ineradicable, and impervious to every rational explanation". "Thank God, I've always avoided persecuting my enemies. What is not absolutely necessary for me to do, that I do not do".

These are some of the simpler statements. Much of the text is very dense: long arguments against Judaism, on the Catholic church, the supremacy of the will and the "evil of conscience". Eva Braun and Hitler's manservant are present throughout, but there is no conversation. The result makes difficult theatre for the spectator. It is impossible to assimilate all that we should, yet Compton's aim does not appear to have been to instil only an emotive reaction in us.

In keeping strictly to Hitler's words she makes her point categorically, but leaves Martin O'Sullivan as Hitler with a mammoth task to perform. He knows his character well, and works hard to maintain dramatic interest. Possibly the play would be more successful as a solo piece. As it is, the conventions are naturalistic enough for us to expect the others to speak, and they seem un-necessarily restricted for not doing so.

Nevertheless, for most of the time An Evening With Adolf Hitler is serious, compelling theatre. Compton reminds us that not all New Zealand playwrights are of the Hall/Musaphia comedy variety. What her play has to say is well worth learning.

It is running lunchtime and late nights. Watch the papers for details.

—Simon Wilson.