Written in 1961 by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, The Physicists is set in a wing of a heavily endowed asylum. In this wing are three patients who believe themselves to be physicists: Albert Einstein (James Hyett), Isaac Newton (Mertol Özaltan), and Möbius (Jacob Nathaniel Levitt). The play follows the aftermath of a nurse’s murder at the hands of Einstein—the second murder of a nurse in the wing. The play explores the ethical responsibilities of physicists, a topic that held great weight for an audience that knew the devastating consequences of Albert Einstein’s work, the creation of the atomic bomb. Are physicists morally obligated to work in the interests of their government, or to share their work with the world at all? Is it even possible to avoid doing so? These are the questions the play attempts to answer.
The VCDS production of the play, directed by Frederick Gietz, is minimal in its approach. Staging the performance in the Cat’s Eye provided a feeling of intimacy with the characters, as did the minimalist set of only two couches, a lamp, a picture and a table. In focusing on the characters and their actions, the production retains much of the integrity of the original text. With every costume matching the set’s colours, even characters from outside the asylum seem to be a part of it. This leads to a sense that there is no way to escape the insanity the asylum represents and that every character is at least partly insane. In this way, the VCDS manages to keep an element of the original’s satire.
Still, the ethical dilemmas cannot, and do not, disturb a modern post-Cold War youth audience in a particularly meaningful way. While the production still allows the audience to ponder questions of ethics and science, the overall impact remains comedic. Despite an asylum as the setting and a murder investigation as the opening scene, the audience is laughing within the first few moments. As the play progresses, the jokes become funnier as the actors really show a commitment to their characters. Both Hyett and Özaltan allow their characters to shine, supplying numerous accents and deadpan looks to maximize their eccentric humour. Özaltan even manages to have dinner in character, cutting food erratically and speaking his lines between sips of wine. Shak Haq, as Fräulein Doktor Mathilde von Zahnd, draws out her own character’s madness by pairing crazed expressions with poised words, while Carmen Kruk boldly depicts Inspector Voss’s larger-than-life personality by smoking and acting drunk with complete abandon. The cast play off each other wonderfully, coordinating their actions for maximum impact, with each cast member getting an equal chance to command the audience’s attention.
The heart of the show, however, is Möbius. In contrast to his clownish fellow patients, Möbius is a rather tragic character. Levitt really manages to show the character’s desperation and grief. In his trembling words, his stricken expression, and his slow-calm movements, one sees a broken man. His agitation continues valiantly as the audience laughs, and his words are so passionately delivered that they threaten to overshadow the comedy of the play. The heartbreaking portrayal of Möbius’s wife (Joanna Decc) and the bittersweet optimism of Nurse Stettler (Abbie Liu) complement his sorrowful role remarkably and manage to leave a lasting impact on the audience, despite limited stage time.
Article by Shamaila Anjum
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