Farm Hall, Theatre Royal Haymarket Review

Alan Cox in Farm Hall. Photo by Alex Brenner

Written by Cathie for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

---

When discussing the horrors of World War II, most of us focus on the dreadful battles that were fought. However, the recent megahit film Oppenheimer highlighted that there is just as much room for debate on the nuclear arms race. Farm Hall, written by Katherine Moar, delves into a lesser-known incident where six German nuclear scientists were imprisoned in a crumbling manor in the English countryside. Their conversations were secretly recorded throughout their stay, revealing many of their unwitting secrets.

These six scientists—Weizsäcker (Daniel Boyd), Hahn (Forbes Masson), Von Laue (David Yelland), Bagge (Archie Backhouse), Heisenberg (Alan Cox), and Diebner (Julius D’Silva)—congregate around overstuffed armchairs and a rickety table in a room with decaying wallpaper, exuding an aura of despair and frustration. In the first half of the play, the characters’ arguments highlight the dynamics between them and their actions during the war. The play mostly avoids discussing the horrors of Nazi ideology but briefly references the exodus of Jewish scientists and mathematicians who fled or were forcibly removed from their posts. The actors skilfully portray the fragmented dynamics of the group, their fear, and their desperate desire for self-preservation, especially once they learn of the atomic bomb being dropped in Hiroshima. The first act is slow-paced, setting the scene and exploring the characters' lives and viewpoints, but the second half is faster-paced, focusing on their reactions to the bomb. Poor Hahn is in complete despair over the loss of thousands of lives, while the others focus on how they can turn the situation to their advantage, even discussing the idea of claiming they deliberately hindered the German nuclear effort.

Director Stephen Unwin has done solid work with the limited staging, creating a play that feels tangibly tense and strained. However, the nature of the script means that the experience on stage isn’t as smooth as it could be. The changing lighting and frequent movement of the cast help convey the passage of time, but the energy on stage remains traditional and staid for most of the show. This play lacks the “whizz bangs” and shenanigans more common on the West End today. However, it is an important addition to the West End, and given our current political and scientific climate, it’s a show that many should watch. It reminds us of age-old scientific quandaries, such as being so focused on whether something can be done that we neglect to ask whether it should be done. Dr. Hahn’s struggle with the lack of control over how others will use his discoveries is a central theme, underscored by the reminder that if he hadn’t made these discoveries, someone else would have. The play also underscores the indelible connections between science and politics and how consequences have a way of reaching us all, no matter our hubris. If you enjoy historical retellings, moral dilemmas, and examining the spirit of self-preservation up close, then this is the show for you.

At Theatre Royal Haymarket until 31 August 2024.

★ ★ ★ ★