Laugh at the monster at Market Theatre
NEWTOWN - Theatre-goers have the chance to laugh at Adolf Hitler, one of history's most despised men, in Greg Viljoen's satire The Last Moustache at the Market Theatre, Newtown.
The one-man show starring Tim Plewman played to full houses at this year’s Grahamstown National Arts Festival.
The play tells the story of the Nazi party’s attempt to keep Hitler alive following his assassination in the Wolf’s Lair in 1944 by staging the greatest performance the world has ever seen.
Under the direction of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi party roped in a troop of actors to take on the real-life role of Hitler. Among them was Plewman’s character, Heiner Schmidt.
Through an impassioned performance and the clever use of props, including a clothing dummy and clothes brush that become a character on stage, Plewman draws the audience into the absurd, farcical world of Hitler and his cronies. He plays up Hitler’s love of Disney movies and chocolate cake, his medical problems and physical attributes, while evoking sympathy and fondness for Schmidt’s character.
The theatre’s senior publicist Lusanda Zokufa said there was a lot more to the play than a unique perspective on the Nazi propaganda machine.
“It tells a story that reminds us that what we are sold as the truth is often very far from it. The show makes us think about the lip service, misinformation and blatant lies that have become common policy,” she said.
The Last Moustache is at The Market Theatre’s Laager Theatre until 1 September.
Details: 011-832-1641; www.markettheatre.co.za
