"Bent" by Martin Sherman
Lights Up on the Dark: The Holocaust Onstage · Samantha Mitschke & Alexandra Gellner
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Show Notes
CONTENT WARNING: Explicit content and references to suicide
In this week’s episode, coinciding with the end of Queer History Month in the UK, Sam and Alex explore Martin Sherman’s groundbreaking play Bent. The first major play - if not the first play - to represent the Nazi persecution of gay men, Bent tells the story of hedonist Max, living in 1930s Berlin until he and his lover Rudy are hunted and finally captured by the Nazis. Sent to Dachau, Max pretends to be Jewish rather than gay to get better treatment from the guards, and meets Horst - an openly gay prisoner. The pair gradually fall in love, but Max refuses to admit it until circumstances force him to make a defining choice.
Sam and Alex talk about aspects such as the historical context, including the infamous German law Paragraph 175; the rumours and lack of public awareness about the Nazi persecution of gay men until the play’s inception; Bent’s UK production history, with Sir Ian McKellen starring as Max in 1979 and 1990 under very different circumstances; the question of a ‘different’ ending; and ‘that’ scene…
Don’t forget to comment (especially with your ideas for a different ending), rate, review, subscribe and share!
Hosts: Samantha Mitschke & Alexandra Gellner
Executive Producer: Samantha Mitschke
Producer / Editor: Alexandra Gellner
Music: “Image” by Infraction Music
Contact: https://holocaustonstage.com/contact/
Episode Sources: Full list forthcoming