THE BANALITY OF EVIL: HANNAH ARENDT, FRANCE, 1940
Arcola Theatre
★★★★
“beautiful physical moments and thought-provoking themes”
Performed by an ensemble of six women, The Banality of Evil is an ambitious production exploring a lesser-known chapter of Second World War history. Through a series of fast-paced scenes, writer and director Julia Pascal brings together the lives of three German Jewish women: philosopher Hannah Arendt, pioneering artist Charlotte Salomon and teenage Communist Eva Daube, who are arrested in France and interned at Camp Gurs in 1940.
The scenes move quickly between the women’s lives, relationships and political beliefs as they face the uncertainty of imprisonment. With German forces advancing, they must decide whether to stay and hope for liberation or risk escaping into an unknown future. Beyond their individual stories, the play explores exile, belonging and the fragile promise of safety when the very state that offered refuge becomes a source of persecution.
There is something particularly striking about the contradiction at the heart of this story. The women are labelled “undesirable” and reduced to categories by a system that fails to recognise their individuality. The play raises questions about how bureaucracy can normalise exclusion. These themes feel uncomfortably relevant today, when people fleeing persecution continue to face hostility and uncertainty.
The performances are strong throughout. Mai Weisz brings a bold, lively intelligence to Hannah Arendt, while Anja Fahlenkamp also makes a memorable impression. The six women work together to create a range of characters and situations, shifting between moments of tension, conflict and unexpected humour.
The text is ambitious, drawing on history, philosophy and personal relationships, and there is a lot to take in. Although the scenes move at a good pace and the play never feels boring, I sometimes wished they had lasted longer. Some of the conflicts are particularly interesting, and I would have liked more time to sit with them and see the characters’ relationships develop further. Certain moments feel as though they have the potential to go deeper, emotionally and dramatically, before the action moves on.
Where the production really shines is in its theatrical language. The physical theatre and use of props create simple yet captivating images, with some genuinely beautiful moments of movement. The music and cabaret elements are woven into the action, bringing shifts in tone and moments of playfulness to an otherwise dark story. Carmen Neat’s set and Lesley Lightfoot’s costume design help establish the period and contribute to the production’s distinctive visual language.
Moments of German philosophy illuminate Arendt’s complicated relationship with Martin Heidegger, adding another layer to the play’s exploration of intellectual thought, personal choices and political responsibility.
Ultimately, The Banality of Evil gives space to women’s stories that risk being forgotten. It is an ambitious piece of political theatre, combining historical research with music, movement and compelling performances. While I would have welcomed more time to explore some of its richest conflicts in depth, its beautiful physical moments and thought-provoking themes make it a production worth seeing.
THE BANALITY OF EVIL: HANNAH ARENDT, FRANCE, 1940
Arcola Theatre
Reviewed on 12th October 2026
by Nasia Ntalla
Photography by Alex Brenner
