We round up the reviews for the London premiere of Jean-Phillipe Daguerre’s drama.
WhatsOnStage: ** ” Fox shines particularly bright in these more comical moments, lending a jaunty swagger to a clunky setup. Jemima Rooper and Nigel Harman both play Nazis a la Tarantino, maniacal laughter becoming a hard, cold stare, only to be broken again by another explosion of laughter, and so on. It’s affectively unnerving, if derivative.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “Striking the right balance of suspense and dark humour, Farewell Mister Haffmann will have you gasping in shock one minute and laughing the next. Fundamentally, it is an exploration of the strength of the human spirit and the quest for survival in trying times. Although the acting is the true highlight, every element blends together seamlessly to create an excellent production. “
All That Dazzles: **** “Farewell Mister Haffmann is full of surprises – just when you think you know where it is going, it will shock you completely. That is what makes it so thrilling to watch in a production full of tension and comedy.”
The Standard: ** “Jean-Philippe Daguerre’s play was a hit in France, won four Moliere awards and was made into a film with Daniel Auteuil in 2022, but maybe something’s got lost in translation.”
London Theatre1: ***** “Oscar Toeman’s direction ensures that the audience’s attention is concentrated on the various protagonists from the very start so that time flies, but at the same time it is given opportunities to empathise with all five characters, even Abetz.”
The Arts Desk: ** “Jean-Philippe Daguerre tries to mix a farcical comedy of manners with the holocaust.”
Beyond the Curtain.co.uk: ***** “Every element of this production is meticulously crafted, culminating in one of the best shows I’ve seen. Where I sat, it was a standing ovation. I hope for nothing less than a sold-out run.”
Theatre Weekly: ***** “Farewell Mr Haffmann is an utterly gripping production that masterfully explores the human condition under extreme duress. With its talented cast and timely themes, this play is a testament to the enduring power of theatre to provoke, inspire, and connect us all.”
The Spy in the Stalls: **** “Refreshingly short and sharp but full of savage twists, it is shockingly funny.”
Jonathan Baz Reviews: *** “Harman’s Nazi is clipped and manicured and in a performance that must surely be up for an Offie nomination, his manifestation of the Third Reich’s evil proves as mesmerising as Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. Rooper’s drunken Suzanne is equally entertaining.”
(c)Mark Senior
The Reviews Hub: *** 1/2 “Michael Fox as Pierre, Jennifer Kirby as Isabelle and Alex Waldmann as Joseph build real connection, upping the stakes the longer the war goes on while Harman and Rooper wait a very long time to come onstage but bring fireworks when they do.”
The FT: *** “The play raises complex questions about courage, compromise, humanity and identity, and about what we are prepared to do in extremis. While expressing the grim absurdity of the situation, the brittle comedy doesn’t leave room to explore these issues in enough depth and nuance.”
Radio Times: **** “Overall, Farewell Mister Haffmann is a masterful meditation on the human condition, placing the individual’s capacity for both kindness and cruelty in extreme circumstances under the microscope.”
The Stage: *** “London premiere of Jean-Philippe Daguerre’s play struggles to reconcile its tricky elements of sex farce and wartime thriller.”
British Theatre Guide: “Farewell Mister Haffmann seems to be two plays here, not entirely welded together, but it makes a lively fiction with a double twist ending.”
The production continues to run at the Park Theatre until the 12th April.