Robyn Nevin as Brunhilde Pomsel. Photo: Andrew Beveridge.
“A German Life”, by Christopher Hampton, starring Robyn Nevin, directed by Neil Armfield. Canberra Theatre Playhouse until May 16. Reviewed by
JOE WOODWARD.
NOURISHMENT for the soul. In most cases, such a phrase is a cliché.
The idea that theatre can have a deeper resonance within one’s very being and personal psyche is not new. It is something that can only be experienced in the presence of a powerful story teller or, like the Ancient Mariner, a person who must tell and retell a shattering experience to whoever will listen.
We have come to dismiss such notions in the theatre. Yet Robyn Nevin provides just such an exceptional enactment in “A German Life”. Nevin demonstrates the difference between performance and art in less than 90 minutes of sheer engagement with her audience who have come to listen and see.