Adolf

This one-man show is a very interesting tale on racism and prejudice. It starts with Adolf Hitler in the final stages of WWII addressing his loyal circle in the bunker, there are times when it segues back to the political rallies of the Nazi heyday and the odd private conversation, either way Adolf is talking to you. As a member of the audience you are at times, the masses, his mistress Eva Braun, his personal staff or his inner circle. The actor and writer of Adolf, Pip Utton renders the audience complicit, creating a level of intimacy with an individual I personally would rather not know.

Set against a backdrop of five Nazi swastikas on red banners, Pip Utton is masterful as the Fuhrer. He commands the stage as the Nazi rhetoric echoes the prejudices and sentiment of today’s society. This is what the play comes down to, as Kristin Alford (one of my companions for the night, along with Ashlee Jenkins and Rubina Carlson) put it, “are you in the bunker or out?” Do you sit there and let yourself be taken in by the performance, participating and engaging with Adolf or do you question what he is saying? Are you one of is inner circle in the Bunker or are you actively fighting against his regime? Are you partaking in racism, even unintentionally, or are you standing against it? Personally I think this aspect of play would have had more power had it been performed in a more intimate venue, Higher Ground for example. I would have found it next to impossible to positon myself outside of the bunker had I seen it in that venue, having said that the play lost none of its impact in the Royalty Theatre.

This uncomfortable thought-provoking piece of theatre has a clever twist in the middle and a conclusion that stays with you. I’m still processing this play days after seeing it and will continue to do so, definitely one you need to see this fringe.

Tickets are $25.00 and well worth paying to see this piece, you can purchase tickets here. Adolf runs nightly until the 27th of February.