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Bent
(Applause Books). Martin Sherman's worldwide hit play Bent took London by storm in 1979 when it was first performed by the Royal Court Theatre, with Ian McKellen as Max (a character written with the actor in mind). The play itself caused an uproar. "It educated the world," Sherman explains. "People knew about how the Third Reich treated Jews and, to some extent, gypsies and political prisoners. But very little had come out about their treatment of homosexuals." Gays were arrested and interned at work camps prior to the genocide of Jews, gypsies, and handicapped, and continued to be imprisoned even after the fall of the Third Reich and liberation of the camps. The play Bent highlights the reason why - a largely ignored German law, Paragraph 175, making homosexuality a criminal offense, which Hitler reactivated and strengthened during his rise to power.
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
November 14, 2020
This is kind of the gay theatrical version of Simenon's La neige était sale and equally powerful. It doesn't matter what terrible things you've done, it doesn't matter how far you've fallen, it's never too late to decide, fuck this shit, I'll find out what it's like to be a good person for a change and treat a fellow human being with love and kindness instead of ruining their life.
Someone should figure out how to turn this into a religion. I think it has real potential.
Someone should figure out how to turn this into a religion. I think it has real potential.
July 4, 2018
Well! This utterly destroyed me, and I only read the transcript. How did humans who saw this play survive?? I’m done, bye world
January 16, 2020
rep: gay mc, gay characters
tw: homophobia, concentration camp, torture, murder, forced necrophilia & pedophilia, suicide
i don't know what i was expecting when i started reading a play abt gay men during the holocaust... i'm just glad i didn't see this live & instead cried for an hour in my empty living room
tw: homophobia, concentration camp, torture, murder, forced necrophilia & pedophilia, suicide
i don't know what i was expecting when i started reading a play abt gay men during the holocaust... i'm just glad i didn't see this live & instead cried for an hour in my empty living room
March 15, 2017
Enormously Powerful
Revisiting this play is as upsetting and moving as ever. It also talks of gay men as survivors who can and do love--even before the AIDS epidemic hit. It is an important chapter of our legacy. There will always be hate. There will always be survival. There will always be love--as long as we are human.
Revisiting this play is as upsetting and moving as ever. It also talks of gay men as survivors who can and do love--even before the AIDS epidemic hit. It is an important chapter of our legacy. There will always be hate. There will always be survival. There will always be love--as long as we are human.
July 23, 2021
if I can give only 1 play a 5 starts it will be this without the slightest hesitation , how can a writer describe the horror of the nazis against humanity in less than 100 page with a heart wrenching love story than makes you cry knowing that it's doomed since the beginning
this is one of the greatest stories ever made . I have never been touched by love story like this since god knows when , I'm crying
this is one of the greatest stories ever made . I have never been touched by love story like this since god knows when , I'm crying
February 10, 2013
The story that is not familiar to many. We all know (as we surely should) how Nazi regime treated Jews. We, however don't know how the same regime treated homosexuals. And I'm sure many would be very surprised to know that equally as Nazis labeled Jews they labeled homosexuals, though not with the same label. While Jews had yellow David star, gays had pink triangle. Now, pink triangle might ring the bell to someone. I didn't know till recently, my visit to Amsterdam where I stumbled upon the Homomonument: three large pink granite triangles that commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality.
So this play is about that: about persecution of (in this case) gay men during Nazi regime. They were just like Jews ended their lives in Concentration Camps (in this case it is Dachau). Main characters even chose to declare himself as a Jew and wear yellow star rather than pink triangle even though he ended in the camp because of his sexuality (he was a German).
I'd rather not write about the story itself. It's very humane, it came on like a punch in the heart. It is very powerful, very thought provoking history lesson we didn't know or the one we choose to ignore. Either way it seems we didn't learn anything otherwise nowadays societies would be far more different.
So this play is about that: about persecution of (in this case) gay men during Nazi regime. They were just like Jews ended their lives in Concentration Camps (in this case it is Dachau). Main characters even chose to declare himself as a Jew and wear yellow star rather than pink triangle even though he ended in the camp because of his sexuality (he was a German).
I'd rather not write about the story itself. It's very humane, it came on like a punch in the heart. It is very powerful, very thought provoking history lesson we didn't know or the one we choose to ignore. Either way it seems we didn't learn anything otherwise nowadays societies would be far more different.
October 9, 2016
Is it possible to feel joyous to read something as depressing as persecution of homosexuals during WWII Nazi regime? Yes, its possible and Sherman has delivered it.
Max and Rudy find love and affection during a time period where being anything other than what they were not expected to be, they were stripped of their humanity. Homosexuality wasn't just frowned upon but had serious and severe consequences. Exploring sexuality wasn't just an option but was a crime. Amidst all this, Max and Rudy live off their convictions, bickering like old married couple all the while wearing a pink triangle that broadcasted their "crime".
This play isn't just important for what it signifies but for that part of history that gets little to no attention. We live in an age where tolerance for homosexuality has increased but still the men and women find it hard to be accepted universally. Bent, is an ugly reminder of a period in our history.
Easily, one of my favorites.
Max and Rudy find love and affection during a time period where being anything other than what they were not expected to be, they were stripped of their humanity. Homosexuality wasn't just frowned upon but had serious and severe consequences. Exploring sexuality wasn't just an option but was a crime. Amidst all this, Max and Rudy live off their convictions, bickering like old married couple all the while wearing a pink triangle that broadcasted their "crime".
This play isn't just important for what it signifies but for that part of history that gets little to no attention. We live in an age where tolerance for homosexuality has increased but still the men and women find it hard to be accepted universally. Bent, is an ugly reminder of a period in our history.
Easily, one of my favorites.
November 13, 2025
WOW! As powerful a read as it is to see a live production! This play doesn't pull any punches and is incredibly powerful, upsetting, tender and moving. A play about the persecution of homosexuals during the Third Reich, when there was little to know information known about this, is quite amazing, the fact that this was written in the 1970's and made it to the West End, transferred to Broadway and earned Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominations is extraordinary!
December 17, 2018
"We were real."
Absolutely brilliant. It's raw, a story both about violence and love. I also appreciate the fact that the main character has flaws, and honestly not too likeable for most of the play. But here, that's one of the things that makes it so raw and just... real. It's not necessarily about Max while at the same time being exactly about who he is. If anything, the last ten pages are incredibly powerful; raw and emotional in a way that will haunt me for a long time.
Absolutely brilliant. It's raw, a story both about violence and love. I also appreciate the fact that the main character has flaws, and honestly not too likeable for most of the play. But here, that's one of the things that makes it so raw and just... real. It's not necessarily about Max while at the same time being exactly about who he is. If anything, the last ten pages are incredibly powerful; raw and emotional in a way that will haunt me for a long time.
November 11, 2025
Brilliant and soul shattering.
On the second read... even more brilliant and soul shattering.
I love this play so deeply and I will always carry the characters in my heart.
On the second read... even more brilliant and soul shattering.
I love this play so deeply and I will always carry the characters in my heart.
Read
April 24, 2023a friend's warning was not kidding - this little play was disturbing and gut-wrenching afk.
suddenly life is bleak, goodbye my love i'll never touch it again.
suddenly life is bleak, goodbye my love i'll never touch it again.
July 14, 2023
hot girl dissertation summer
May 29, 2017
Usually I read the book and then see the movie. With, "Bent", I saw the play maybe 30 years ago???! From the play, I only remembered that a friend played one of the two lead roles, and his acting was amazing! I remembered that the play was performed on a plain, stark stage and that it focused on two gay men in a Nazi camp, during the Holocaust. That's pretty much all I remembered.
Today, I read the play. I just finished reading it this morning! The dialogue is simple and direct. For me, there was no , difficulty in 'picturing' each scene and 'hearing' each word being spoken. I don't usually read plays on my own, but this one is short and easy to understand. It's a powerful and moving story.
The Nazi government targeted Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, the Physically Imperfect, and the Mentally Ill. According to this book, it's estimated that, "between a quarter million and half a million homosexuals died in the concentration camps". This play is just one story among many. It's important as a piece of historical fiction, but even more profound as the beautiful, tender, tragic love story that Martin Sherman created.
Finally, I played the movie. The movie is true to Sherman's story. I know I enjoyed it as much as I did, because I had read the play, first. I already loved the story and its characters. This story will stay with me for a long time.
Today, I read the play. I just finished reading it this morning! The dialogue is simple and direct. For me, there was no , difficulty in 'picturing' each scene and 'hearing' each word being spoken. I don't usually read plays on my own, but this one is short and easy to understand. It's a powerful and moving story.
The Nazi government targeted Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, the Physically Imperfect, and the Mentally Ill. According to this book, it's estimated that, "between a quarter million and half a million homosexuals died in the concentration camps". This play is just one story among many. It's important as a piece of historical fiction, but even more profound as the beautiful, tender, tragic love story that Martin Sherman created.
Finally, I played the movie. The movie is true to Sherman's story. I know I enjoyed it as much as I did, because I had read the play, first. I already loved the story and its characters. This story will stay with me for a long time.
October 21, 2022
"Обратен" на Мартин Шърман е една от книгите, към които подходих без големи очаквания, защото не бях прочела, че всъщност става дума за пиеса, а не роман.
За своите скромни няма и 104 страници изобщо не предполагах, че е възможно да се впусна в историята, да потъна в сюжета, да опозная героите.
Е, сгреших. Втори ден я премислям и страдам. Не случайно сядам да пиша пост за нея.
Кратка е. Малка е.
Сценарий е.
Поглъщата е. Тежка е.
Съкрушаваща е.
Влезе ми под кожата.
Запознаваме се с Макс и Руди, които са хомосексуална двойка във време, в което да си с обратна ориентация ти осигурява еднопосочен билет към лагерите на смъртта. Берлин, 1934 г. е. Хитлерова Германия. Двамата потеглят към Дахау. Стигат ли обаче и двамата?
В какво те превръщат желанието и страстта за оцеляване?
Или тази воля за живот единствено подсилва негативните качествата, които вече притежаваш? Умножава ги стократно?
Макс не е положителен герой. И в същото време е. Зависи от гледаната точка.
Всеки читател сам трябва да реши дали да му прости или да го съди.
Пиесата е за обречеността. За изгубените безвъзвратно щастие и невинност. За угояването на безчовечността у човека. Докато от него остане само тяло. Без душа.
За своите скромни няма и 104 страници изобщо не предполагах, че е възможно да се впусна в историята, да потъна в сюжета, да опозная героите.
Е, сгреших. Втори ден я премислям и страдам. Не случайно сядам да пиша пост за нея.
Кратка е. Малка е.
Сценарий е.
Поглъщата е. Тежка е.
Съкрушаваща е.
Влезе ми под кожата.
Запознаваме се с Макс и Руди, които са хомосексуална двойка във време, в което да си с обратна ориентация ти осигурява еднопосочен билет към лагерите на смъртта. Берлин, 1934 г. е. Хитлерова Германия. Двамата потеглят към Дахау. Стигат ли обаче и двамата?
В какво те превръщат желанието и страстта за оцеляване?
Или тази воля за живот единствено подсилва негативните качествата, които вече притежаваш? Умножава ги стократно?
Макс не е положителен герой. И в същото време е. Зависи от гледаната точка.
Всеки читател сам трябва да реши дали да му прости или да го съди.
Пиесата е за обречеността. За изгубените безвъзвратно щастие и невинност. За угояването на безчовечността у човека. Докато от него остане само тяло. Без душа.
August 4, 2019
A well-written drama that I can imagine is very powerful on the stage. However, it doesn't do very much to really explore its premise - a gay man sent to a concentration camp - other than to use it as window dressing for a brutal and tragic story. Some excellent character work and a series of brutal horrors, can't quite elevate the core simplicity of the storytelling.
October 13, 2015
A magnificent, and sentimental, work surrounding sexuality and love during WWII. Really spectacular is what I will leave it at! And a favorite.
October 20, 2018
I don’t think I have ever read a play so quickly; this was moving and gripping
June 24, 2019
A powerful experience on a little known aspect of the Holocaust. I imagine this is devastatingly amazing on stage.
December 27, 2014
Az önce filmini bitirdim ve... of diyorum...
March 19, 2023
This play is nearly forty-five years old. How is that possible? How did I get to be so damned old?
Bent is a landmark gay play, dealing with the Nazi persecution of gays (and Jews, of course) in World War II. It's also remarkably (and terrifyingly) relevant to life in the world right now.
"I have to be careful. They've passed a law, you know. We're not allowed to be fluffs anymore. We're not even allowed to kiss or embrace. Or fantasize. They can arrest you for having fluff thoughts."
Seriously, how far away from that are we right now? At least in certain states.
The main character in Bent is Max, a bit of a con man who will basically do anything to stay alive. Anything. Like, seriously terrible things. He goes so far as "proving" to the Nazis that he's not gay by desecrating the corpse of a young girl so that he can get a yellow star instead of a pink triangle. Because, in Dachau, even Jews were treated better than homosexuals.
On the train to Dachau and then in the camp itself, Max meets a Jew named Horst, and their relationship forms the true beating heart of the play. They even manage a famous and legitimately hot sex scene without ever touching, which is a weird thing to even contemplate within the context of genocide and concentration camps, but it's also the point:
"We did it. How about that — fucking guards, fucking camp, we did it. ... I'm shouting inside. We did it. They're not going to kill us. We made love. We were human. We made love. They're not going to kill us."
Spoiler alert: of course they kill them. That's what Nazis do to Jews and gays and trans people and people who believe in the reproductive rights of women.
However, the Nazis of the world are only ever able to kill the physical, never the emotional and spiritual core — the real. Towards the end of the play, Horst tells Max:
"For the past six weeks, I've dreamt about you. It helps me get up. It helps me make sure my bed is perfectly made so I'm not punished. It helps me eat the stinking food. It helps me put up with the constant fights in the barracks. Knowing I'll see you. At least out of the corner of my eyes. In passing. It's a reason to live. So I'm glad I'm here."
The play ends with a dazzling and heartbreaking image, with Max finally becoming a fully realized person. It's a gorgeous play, albeit a brutal one.
A couple of cranky old man notes:
If you want to read the play, try to find the reading edition rather than the acting edition. The acting edition contains a huge amount of overly prescriptive stage direction that really interrupts the flow.
Also, the acting edition contains an inordinate number of typos. Samuel French/Concord Theatricals: this script has been in print for more than forty years; it's made you a kajillion dollars — proofread the damned thing!
Bent is a landmark gay play, dealing with the Nazi persecution of gays (and Jews, of course) in World War II. It's also remarkably (and terrifyingly) relevant to life in the world right now.
"I have to be careful. They've passed a law, you know. We're not allowed to be fluffs anymore. We're not even allowed to kiss or embrace. Or fantasize. They can arrest you for having fluff thoughts."
Seriously, how far away from that are we right now? At least in certain states.
The main character in Bent is Max, a bit of a con man who will basically do anything to stay alive. Anything. Like, seriously terrible things. He goes so far as "proving" to the Nazis that he's not gay by desecrating the corpse of a young girl so that he can get a yellow star instead of a pink triangle. Because, in Dachau, even Jews were treated better than homosexuals.
On the train to Dachau and then in the camp itself, Max meets a Jew named Horst, and their relationship forms the true beating heart of the play. They even manage a famous and legitimately hot sex scene without ever touching, which is a weird thing to even contemplate within the context of genocide and concentration camps, but it's also the point:
"We did it. How about that — fucking guards, fucking camp, we did it. ... I'm shouting inside. We did it. They're not going to kill us. We made love. We were human. We made love. They're not going to kill us."
Spoiler alert: of course they kill them. That's what Nazis do to Jews and gays and trans people and people who believe in the reproductive rights of women.
However, the Nazis of the world are only ever able to kill the physical, never the emotional and spiritual core — the real. Towards the end of the play, Horst tells Max:
"For the past six weeks, I've dreamt about you. It helps me get up. It helps me make sure my bed is perfectly made so I'm not punished. It helps me eat the stinking food. It helps me put up with the constant fights in the barracks. Knowing I'll see you. At least out of the corner of my eyes. In passing. It's a reason to live. So I'm glad I'm here."
The play ends with a dazzling and heartbreaking image, with Max finally becoming a fully realized person. It's a gorgeous play, albeit a brutal one.
A couple of cranky old man notes:
If you want to read the play, try to find the reading edition rather than the acting edition. The acting edition contains a huge amount of overly prescriptive stage direction that really interrupts the flow.
Also, the acting edition contains an inordinate number of typos. Samuel French/Concord Theatricals: this script has been in print for more than forty years; it's made you a kajillion dollars — proofread the damned thing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2023
Another book from my pile of paperback drama I found at a library book sale. It is about the gay experience in Nazi Germany. The main character ends up in Dachau and it doesn't end well (spoiler). So not a cheery subject and I suspect it had a big emotional impact on stage. This play was a big deal in 1979/1980 (I recall controversy), and they made a movie out of it. Part of me thinks this play was a little too in-your-face shocking and a creature of its time, but I could be wrong.
September 24, 2024
jaw was dropped the entire time
November 20, 2025
terribly terribly sad to read. made me a bit nauseous
June 9, 2010
Review of the Film:
The powerful and moving film adaptation of Martin Sherman’s award-winning stage play. For almost 20 years, Bent has stunned theatre audiences around the world. Now adapted for the big screen by the author himself, this inspiring tale of love over oppression has even greater power and poignancy. Set amidst the decadence of pre-war fascist Germany, Bent is an emotional tale of love, as three homosexual men fight for survival in the face of persecution.
Directed by Sean Mathias
Produced by Michael Solinger, Dixie Linder
Written by Martin Sherman (play & screenplay)
Starring Clive Owen, Lothaire Bluteau, Brian Webber, Rupert Graves, Ian McKellen, Mick Jagger, Jude Law
As you can imagine, this isn’t the easiest of watches, so don’t get it expecting a comfy watch with the popcorn. It starts with decadent scenes of the gay/bi scene in 1934 Berlin, where Max (Owen) – who is obviously a bit of a player, a deal-arranger, well known in the set, has a debauched night at Greta’s (Jagger) club where he meets a beautiful young Nazi soldier, Wolf (Nikolaj Waldau) and has sex with him, both in the club and back at his house, to the disgust of his live-in lover Rudy (Webber). Things go downhill from here and spiral into the worst possible solution.
I understand, from my researches on the piece, that the plot of the beginning of the film has been changed from the play. In the play, it’s more of a political emphasis–Max is a politician and brings members of the Sturmabteilung back to his flat, whereas in the film, he just brings the beautiful Rudy back for a good shagging, who turns out to the boyfriend of the co-founder of the Sturmabteilung, the homosexual Ernst Rohm, who was murdered by Hitler (who had up to then, been a close friend), triggering The Night of the Long Knives.
However after that, the film and play seem to coalesce, (without having seen both, this is assumption, but it seems so.)
Owen isn’t my favourite of actors, as he isn’t–in my opinion–a character actor, but he manages well in the part. He’s convincing as the decadent, self-assured Max in the pre-arrest days and in good method fashion, he loses a lot of weight for the role, as he ends up in Dachau, and chooses to pretend to be a Jew, to wear the yellow star, considering that a lesser wrong than being a queer, and to wear the pink triangle.
There’s not a badly cast role in the film, actually. Even Jagger, who I seriously didn’t recognise, and who I have never rated as an actor at all, does marvellously, and Sir Ian McKellern steals the show in his one short scene as “Uncle Freddie.” Sir Ian, incidentally, played the Max role in the original stage production in 1979, so this was a nice touch.
The most affecting scenes are those, naturally enough, between Max and Horst (played brilliantly by Lothaire Bluteau) on the way to, and within the walls of, the notorious death camp of Dachau. Even though this is set before the Second World War itself you never get any sense of hope, and that makes the restricted interractions between the two men poignant and very hard to watch. But they are well worth watching, as the scene where they do their first sex scene is heart-warming and beautiful.
The play itself, which caused outrage and acclaim when first put on, helped the exposure of the homosexual treatment by the Nazis enormously, and since then, much research has been done into their fate, leading to a greater knowledge for all, and I think, a wider acceptance and understanding.
For me, the seminal line in the play, is where Owen says “I love you. And what’s wrong with that?” It’s very obviously a challenge to the world, calling out through history, and it works as well now as it ever did.
So no, not an easy film to watch at all. But I urge you, if you haven’t seen it, to do so. In these days, twenty years on, when gays are STILL fighting for rights, for their lives, it is as relevant today as it was when it was first staged.
The powerful and moving film adaptation of Martin Sherman’s award-winning stage play. For almost 20 years, Bent has stunned theatre audiences around the world. Now adapted for the big screen by the author himself, this inspiring tale of love over oppression has even greater power and poignancy. Set amidst the decadence of pre-war fascist Germany, Bent is an emotional tale of love, as three homosexual men fight for survival in the face of persecution.
Directed by Sean Mathias
Produced by Michael Solinger, Dixie Linder
Written by Martin Sherman (play & screenplay)
Starring Clive Owen, Lothaire Bluteau, Brian Webber, Rupert Graves, Ian McKellen, Mick Jagger, Jude Law
As you can imagine, this isn’t the easiest of watches, so don’t get it expecting a comfy watch with the popcorn. It starts with decadent scenes of the gay/bi scene in 1934 Berlin, where Max (Owen) – who is obviously a bit of a player, a deal-arranger, well known in the set, has a debauched night at Greta’s (Jagger) club where he meets a beautiful young Nazi soldier, Wolf (Nikolaj Waldau) and has sex with him, both in the club and back at his house, to the disgust of his live-in lover Rudy (Webber). Things go downhill from here and spiral into the worst possible solution.
I understand, from my researches on the piece, that the plot of the beginning of the film has been changed from the play. In the play, it’s more of a political emphasis–Max is a politician and brings members of the Sturmabteilung back to his flat, whereas in the film, he just brings the beautiful Rudy back for a good shagging, who turns out to the boyfriend of the co-founder of the Sturmabteilung, the homosexual Ernst Rohm, who was murdered by Hitler (who had up to then, been a close friend), triggering The Night of the Long Knives.
However after that, the film and play seem to coalesce, (without having seen both, this is assumption, but it seems so.)
Owen isn’t my favourite of actors, as he isn’t–in my opinion–a character actor, but he manages well in the part. He’s convincing as the decadent, self-assured Max in the pre-arrest days and in good method fashion, he loses a lot of weight for the role, as he ends up in Dachau, and chooses to pretend to be a Jew, to wear the yellow star, considering that a lesser wrong than being a queer, and to wear the pink triangle.
There’s not a badly cast role in the film, actually. Even Jagger, who I seriously didn’t recognise, and who I have never rated as an actor at all, does marvellously, and Sir Ian McKellern steals the show in his one short scene as “Uncle Freddie.” Sir Ian, incidentally, played the Max role in the original stage production in 1979, so this was a nice touch.
The most affecting scenes are those, naturally enough, between Max and Horst (played brilliantly by Lothaire Bluteau) on the way to, and within the walls of, the notorious death camp of Dachau. Even though this is set before the Second World War itself you never get any sense of hope, and that makes the restricted interractions between the two men poignant and very hard to watch. But they are well worth watching, as the scene where they do their first sex scene is heart-warming and beautiful.
The play itself, which caused outrage and acclaim when first put on, helped the exposure of the homosexual treatment by the Nazis enormously, and since then, much research has been done into their fate, leading to a greater knowledge for all, and I think, a wider acceptance and understanding.
For me, the seminal line in the play, is where Owen says “I love you. And what’s wrong with that?” It’s very obviously a challenge to the world, calling out through history, and it works as well now as it ever did.
So no, not an easy film to watch at all. But I urge you, if you haven’t seen it, to do so. In these days, twenty years on, when gays are STILL fighting for rights, for their lives, it is as relevant today as it was when it was first staged.
September 25, 2020
This play follows the persecution of gay men in Nazi Germany, focusing on one man, Max, and his experiences. As you can imagine it is an intense play and thus trigger warnings apply. I read this play in near enough one sitting this afternoon. It is harrowing. The story follows Max, originally played by Ian McKellen, in the aftermath of the Night of the Long Knives wherein Max goes on the run but is eventually captured imprisoned in a camp. Max desperately wants to avoid being assigned the pink triangle which one of the other prisoners claims is “the worst of all” and so pretends to be Jewish instead. He builds a relationship with the other prisoner and the themes of shame and self acceptance are married together with extreme trauma and violence. It is not that pretending to be Jewish gives him a better experience but it depicts a reflection of the social stigma even amongst the oppressed and the shame and self hatred felt by Max himself. It was written in 1979 by Martin Sherman, who himself was both gay and Jewish, and this play was the Tony nominee for best play in 1980 and it’s easy to see why. The connection portrayed between Max and Horst, the other prisoner, is so powerful, even when written, I cannot imagine seeing this play staged. The final scene is so well written that the emotions can choke you. Definitely worth reading but it is a very somber and desperately sad read.
September 25, 2023
My heart aches. My emotions from reading this play were visceral. Sorry to my coworkers who saw me crying at work while reading this.
July 15, 2012
Bent has to be one of my all-time favourite plays. It is gut-wrenching, incredibly powerful and beautifully crafted. Sherman tells a Holocaust story that no one I was aware of had ever told before - the story of the persecution of homosexuals, who were the lowest of the low in the concentration camp pecking order. Written in 1979 the struggle of Max to accept himself, to learn to love in the most unlikely of places, still carries meaning today.
***Spoiler***Alert***
But it is not all doom and gloom. While there are scenes of heart-breaking cruelty and honesty, Sherman also manages to bring a lightness into the lines that make this play so special. On the run from the Nazis, Max and Rudy still bicker like any other couple.
With the second act set entirely in a concentration camp, the play has a lot to teach about finding and maintaining your humanity in the most inhumane of environments. And it is love which keeps Max alive, a budding relationship with a fellow inmate. But, and again it's a feeling as old as time, saying the words "I love you" does not come easy...
I was involved in a production of this play at university and at the end of every show there was an incredible silence in the theatre, almost tangible - the moment before the lights went up and everyone was torn out of their contemplation into thundering applause. Sitting in the wings every night and feeling that energy was incredible. Knowing that Sherman's play had touched at least our university student audience for the duration of a few hours, and hopefully beyond, will be one of the most memorable experiences of my student theatre career and I believe I made lifelong friends in the process of bringing this story to our little stage.
***Spoiler***Alert***
But it is not all doom and gloom. While there are scenes of heart-breaking cruelty and honesty, Sherman also manages to bring a lightness into the lines that make this play so special. On the run from the Nazis, Max and Rudy still bicker like any other couple.
With the second act set entirely in a concentration camp, the play has a lot to teach about finding and maintaining your humanity in the most inhumane of environments. And it is love which keeps Max alive, a budding relationship with a fellow inmate. But, and again it's a feeling as old as time, saying the words "I love you" does not come easy...
I was involved in a production of this play at university and at the end of every show there was an incredible silence in the theatre, almost tangible - the moment before the lights went up and everyone was torn out of their contemplation into thundering applause. Sitting in the wings every night and feeling that energy was incredible. Knowing that Sherman's play had touched at least our university student audience for the duration of a few hours, and hopefully beyond, will be one of the most memorable experiences of my student theatre career and I believe I made lifelong friends in the process of bringing this story to our little stage.
December 24, 2024
Honestamente está reseña es más para el duo finalista de speech q m hizo querer leer esta obra q a la obra en sí, ya q como está escrita para ser interpretada, m resulta injusto juzgarla por su calidad d novela cuando no lo es.
Raw y super necesaria además para la época en la q se publicó!!! Siento q no muchxs (yo incluida) llegan a saber todas las personas y d las maneras en la q el nazismo fue el infierno q fue. Con actuaciones descaradas y sin censura como esta s consigue concienciar y educar aún más. A pesar d la brevedad d tanto la actuación (solo 10 min!!! Q bn eligieron las partes con las q quedarse, sigo astonished) como d la obra (m la leí d madrugada en 1h I think), lloré en ambas. El mundo era y sigue siendo tan injusto aghhhhh dejen a la gente amarse
Gracias Scooter y Quinn. Q dps d 2 meses siga pensando en vuestra interpretación sin conoceros lo dice todo
Raw y super necesaria además para la época en la q se publicó!!! Siento q no muchxs (yo incluida) llegan a saber todas las personas y d las maneras en la q el nazismo fue el infierno q fue. Con actuaciones descaradas y sin censura como esta s consigue concienciar y educar aún más. A pesar d la brevedad d tanto la actuación (solo 10 min!!! Q bn eligieron las partes con las q quedarse, sigo astonished) como d la obra (m la leí d madrugada en 1h I think), lloré en ambas. El mundo era y sigue siendo tan injusto aghhhhh dejen a la gente amarse
Gracias Scooter y Quinn. Q dps d 2 meses siga pensando en vuestra interpretación sin conoceros lo dice todo
October 25, 2019
I haven’t really gathered my thoughts on this play yet, so I don’t really know what to say about it here. It belongs to a very small group of texts that portray a fictional representation of the queer experience of the Holocaust, and an individualized experience of working in Dachau concentration camp. I can’t yet speak to the historical accuracy of certain elements, though in his book ‘Holocaust Drama’, Plunka has claimed it is “surprisingly” historically accurate given that not much information was known about the experience of homosexuals during the Holocaust. I’ll find out more over the next few months of research!
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