‘Bent’ at the Studio

Press, 31 October 1984, Page 8

‘Bent’ at the Studio

“Bent,” by Martin Sherman, directed by Elric Hooper for the Court Studio. October 30 to November 17. Running time: 8.15 p.m. to 10.10 p.m. Reviewed by Gerrit Bahlman. The drunken debauchery of the night before has devastating consequences for Max, a Berlin homosexual. The night before is the night of the long knives and Max can remember nothing. His lover, Rudy, is miffed at his behaviour and at the presence of the handsome blond "fluff” Max has brought home with him. Max’s amnesia and hangover are a comic start to the most powerful piece of theatre the Court Studio has vet seen.“Bent” is hardly a light frolic through the fantasy land of the Third Reich. It is a study of the reactionary repression of homosexuals with the upsurge of Hitler’s Germany. Max experiences the pressure of being on the run, sulftequent torture, and

insanity of life in Dachau before World War 11. The subject is grim but the delivery is lined with moments of comedy and self-perception that remove the play from depths of gloom. The all-male cast was presented with a challenging task. The homosexual relationships had to be seen as real to work. Suppressed passion and the conveying of the sexual importance of touch and sensitivity were vital to establish credibility. Alistair Browning gave .a courageous and committed performance. Max was drawn with intensity and a sense of isolation. Tony Mack gave an outstanding performance. His heavily ironic delivery elicited spontaneous bursts of laughter in the blackest of situations without destroying the mood or direction of the play. The warmth of his portrayal of Horst, a prisoner lover, contrasted with Max’s reserved shell. '

Mark Trezona as the weak, doomed Rudy and Jeff Boyd as Wolf shared the cameo homosexual roles while Craig Hood added a cabaret touch of the transvestite. Sundry Nazi officers were doubled by Craig Hood in conjunction with Geoffrey Wearing, Shane Penniket, and Jeff Boyd. The Studio-based set, usually sparse and efficient, was designed by Tony Geddes. Austerity and berbed wire conveyed all that was necessary. Lighting by Jim Monteath added a symbolic component with the swastika cast on the side walls and the train motion illusion employed Eiously in “The Real g.” As the last Court-initiated Studio production for some time, “Bent” is a superb choice. It is a memorable play which challenges and threatens, and an excellent piece of theatre which would not have gone amiss in auditorium.