Adolf

Although Utton's performance is lacking spark, he cleverly manipulates the audience towards the end of the play

★★★
archive review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes
Published 22 Aug 2007
Pip Utton has been imitating Adolf Hitler for ten years now. Showered with awards and critical praise, his one-man show has toured the world, bringing the last days of the Furhrer to a gushing international audience. Unfortunately, the once powerful dramatisation appears limp at this year’s Fringe and Utton strangely lifeless.

Joining Hitler during his final days in the Berlin Bunker, Adolf gives a fictional insight into the mind of a fallen icon, grappling to control his remaining minions and trying to understand how his master plan has gone so terribly wrong. Utton’s monologue revolves around Hitler’s last speeches to his staff, where he desperately justifies the continuing denigration of all Jews, gypsies, Slavs and homosexuals. Unfortunately, this is wearily drawn-out, and despite much ranting and raving there is little original insight.

In the most interesting final passage, Utton pulls off his wig and starts a seemingly naturalistic dialogue with the audience. This begins with flecks of light-hearted banter but quickly descends into angry diatribes on asylum seekers and colonialism. It’s uncomfortable viewing but much of the audience is already seduced, even beginning to laugh at Utton’s bigoted jokes. Suddenly the tone changes and the audience realise they’ve been manipulated – just like the German people were in the 1930’s.

People stream out feeling embarrassed and violated, trying not to make eye contact with the guy in the second row who was laughing particularly hard. As Utton says, Hitler is still alive and well – he lives somewhere inside all of us.