Farm Hall

This was very much a production with great local interest; being about events that took place in a house less than two miles from the theatre, The characters whose impact on world events literally changed the course of history. At the end of the war in Europe in 1945, the allies round up six German scientists who had been involved in trying to build an Atomic Bomb, known as the Uranium Club and brought them to Farm Hall, where the intelligence services then covertly eavesdropped on the scientists’ conversations for seven months hoping they would reveal their nuclear secrets.

The play by Katherline Moar, first produced in 2023 is taken directly from those illicit transcripts. It revealed the boredom and in-fighting amongst them as they reflect on their individual parts in facilitating Hitler’s war, which comes to a halt when they learn they have been beaten by the Americans dropping their own atomic bomb on Hiroshima! 

The very appropriate set, by Rob Barton was the dowdy drawing room in Farm Hall that had seen better days and really did take you back to the early to mid-twentieth century with furniture that in some case could well have been Victorian, paintings and illustrations that also looked sad and in need of updating even for that period.  The introduction of an old broken upright piano, which they enthusiastically set about repairing was the only addition to the set apart from personal items and drinks.

Lighting, very slickly done, especially the scene changes under the control of stage manager Jennie Osborne, was by Max Richardson and the authentic 1940’s sound was by Andy Wilkes. We were therefore quickly immersed in the era of wartime Huntingdon.

It was a very hot humid night (the hottest of the year so far) and I take my hat off to the cast for actually wearing the perfectly authentic wardrobe supplied by Sarah Stammler, which included sleeveless jumpers and full three-piece suits!

The play opened with a very personal recorded narration by Ruldolf Duehmke, who is a Cambridge based Cardiology Consultant, the grandson of one of the six protagonists, Erich Bagge and son-in-law of the show’s director.

The cast of six really were out of the top drawer of local talent and experience. Each bringing their characters skilfully to life, emphatically demonstrating their perspective on both their work and their political masters. They had clearly all done a lot of research into their individual characters including a visit to Farm Hall itself, courtesy of the present owners. And by golly, did it pay off!

Dean Laccohee as Werner Heisenberg the leader of the group was outwardly at ease with the situation and his part in it, but inwardly questioning the morality, and his own actions.  Did he or did he not put his all into the work and even his monologue at the very end left both us and him in doubt.  Wonderfully subtle performance.

By contrast, Justin Allum as Kurt Diebner was the pariah of the group, portraying an unabashed Nazi party member and just regrets the Germans didn’t get there before the Americans. Confidence personified.

Richard Brown, consummate Shakespearian actor, and recently retired chairman of local group, Shakespeare at the George was in top form as Max Von Laue who had been a vocal objector to the Nazi regime. Some great exchanges between his character and Diebner. Grabbed your attention from his initial opening front of curtain phone call.

Chris Topham as Otto Hahn was the one with a conscience, grappling with what his scientific discovery had done to mankind. A double-edged sword, for his work saw him win the 1944 Noble Prize for Chemistry. An emotional rollercoaster of a performance - superbly acted!

Nathanael Spalding as Carl Friedrich von Weizsãcker, Heisenberg’s friend and younger companion again grappling with both his conscience and his family links to the Nazi regime. Another memorable performance.

Miles Greves as Erich Bagge, had a wonderful smile throughout and was the apologetic one, regretting his former expedient links to the Nazi party. I particularly liked his performance as it just lightened the proceedings of this heavy weight drama.

Director Jacqueline Spencer, along with Assistant Director Bronte Beckett really had done wonders with this play. It was, as I said a very hot steamy night and any turgid parts or lesser quality acting of this play would have easily had this full house audience drifting off to sleep, but quite the contrary. It was absolutely riveting throughout, a fascinating local interest history lesson and a great evening’s entertainment. Well done to HDC for bringing this little-known story to the stage, and even for obtaining a licence for a play only just out of its West End run. I imagine their geographical location helped with that? Absolutely top-notch drama, well presented from beginning to end and also thoroughly enjoyed by my daughter and son-in-law over here from New Zealand for a visit!

 

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