Sommer 14: A Dance Of Death

Finborough Theatre, London SW10

WARS do not break out. They are not brokered or declared, as is always written.

They are brought about by those who desire them.

That view underpins this play by the controversial German dramatist Rolf Hochhuth and the Finborough theatre has been brave enough to give Sommer 14: A Dance Of Death its English premiere.

Inspired by medieval mystery plays it is an epic narrative of the world’s descent into war.

In June 1914, Europe was enjoying unprecedented peace and prosperity. Little over a month later, the world was at war and only a handful of people knew it was happening.

Employing the character of death as a guide, the play uses the classic danse macabre structure and in a series of vignettes tell us the story of how the war began, seen through the machinations of leading bigwigs of the European ruling class. Death, represented as the ordinary soldier, is grippingly played by a scary Dean Bray.

In its structure Hochhuth’s play unavoidably invites comparisons with Joan Littlewood’s Oh! What a Lovely War and comes off badly bruised.

Littlewood alternates pathos with sharp political satire and songs presenting the ordinary soldiers’ perspective, contrasting with ruling-class callousness.

Hochhuth is relentlessly earnest and his play remains unleavened by humour. There is little dramatic action and the actors are obliged to remain largely static, delivering their words, rather like wooden opera singers their arias.

This is not their fault but Hochhuth’s lack of dramatic imagination. His text is black and white moralising with history, viewed from a high tower, seen as a series of actions of grand men — there are few grey tones, no eye for the structures and chance happenings that history brings forth.

The players struggle valiantly with Hochhuth’s rather turgid text.

He relates a story that is well-worn, apart from his allegation of Churchill’s cynical arming of the cruise ship Lusitania, so that it would be attacked by the Germans and bring the US into the war.

It is an attempt to give us a modern morality play, demonstrating that the scourge of war is the result of decisions taken by a ruling class and humans are so stupid as to go along with their plans, even though it is they who bear the horrors and become the cannon fodder.

Once again, though, the Finborough proves it can squeeze all there is out of even insubstantial material and provide us with an engaging theatrical experience.

Runs until August 30, box office: www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk