Bent

A sad coincidence. Martin Sherman’s play Bent opened in London in a revival last night, the day after Tom Bell, who played Horst in the original production, died at the age of 73.

 

I saw the original production of Bent at the Royal Court theatre in 1979, with Tom Bell and Ian McKellan in the main roles. It was an extraordinarily powerful production and their performances were electrifying – quite literally so for one of the protagonists. The play has also been made into a film, which has its moments. McKellan appears in it, but this time in the role of Uncle Freddie, rather than as Max. There’s also an interesting turn by Mick Jagger playing a drag queen. If you can’t get to see the play’s revival, then the film is worth tracking down. Just don’t expect a jolly evening – this isn’t Cabaret. It’s much darker – a descent into Hell.