Review: Wiesenthal (King's Head Theatre)

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At a time when there is an uprising in far right thinking it is more important than ever to remember the stories of what it can lead to and one of the best ways to do this is by listening to the voices of those who not only experienced it but fought back. This sets the scene for Wiesenthal, an internationally acclaimed show now making its London debut for a short season at King’s Head Theatre.

Wiesenthal is a one man show that is told from the perspective of Simon Wiesenthal. Over the course of 75 minutes, we learn about the man who was not just a survivor of the Holocaust, but someone who somehow managed to survive several concentration camps. After being liberated from Mauthausen in 1945, Wiesenthal decided to stay in his native Austria and spend his life trying to bring the perpetrators of unfathomable atrocities to justice and in his time managed to bring cases against some 1100 SS officers.

Whilst of course there is a huge amount of seriousness and sadness in the tale, Tom Dugan’s writing manages to weave in moments of lightness and levity too, allowing the audience to experience the journey without feeling that they have been lectured for an hour and a bit. In terms of writing this is a superbly crafted piece and a monumental challenge for any actor attempting it.

Christopher C Gibbs (Wiesenthal) has a warmth that is immediate from the moment he steps onto the stage; an open plan version of Wiesenthal’s office with the audience on three sides. The fact he was not wearing a microphone also gives us the feeling of intimacy that this piece needs. I had the sense that nerves may have overtaken a little as, at times, the delivery was incredibly fast. When mixed with the accent and Gibbs ensuring he involved the whole audience, which surrounded him on three sides, meant that sometimes lines were lost. I felt like this performance will be even better when it has had a chance to properly settle in the actors mind and body. Gibbs’ delivery of the lighter moments was flawless but I felt that some of the pathos was lost under the huge effort of ensuring 75 minutes worth of dialogue were delivered.

Likewise, the sound design by Josh Liebert was well thought through yet suffered from the delivery sometimes being off. This happened due to music coming in too suddenly and too loud or the phone ringing when it had already been answered – minor quibbles but ones that detracted from the desired impact of the piece. Simple yet effective lighting from Clancy Flynn beautifully guided our focus where and when it was needed.

Though not perfect in its present form, Wiesenthal has no shortage of potential. An important story that holds as much power today, it is filled with hope, humanity and humour. With his direction, Mark Liebert leads a strong troupe that perhaps just needs a little more time to relax into their roles. When that happens, I’m confident that this will be a stellar piece that will provoke much thought form its audiences.

Wiesenthal plays at King’s Head Theatre until 15th September.

Tickets from https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/wiesenthal

Photos by Rod Penn