Savage confronts a historically shocking and distressingly contemporary issue: the targeting of homosexual men with conversion therapy. The play recounts the horrific experiments carried out under the Nazi regime in Denmark to "cure" homosexuality and tells the true story of Dr Vaernet, who collaborated with Hitler’s regime in the belief that sexual orientation could be changed. This historical reality is dramatised through the story of Nikolai, a young Danish man, and his American lover, Zack. While Zack manages to escape the Nazi experiments, Nikolai endures them. Regrettably, this crucial historical legacy is presented simplistically and didactically. The characters are one-dimensional, and the plot is entirely predictable. The revelation that the Nazi persecutor of Nikolai is himself gay is unsurprising. It is almost a cliché that much homophobia is driven by repression of one’s own desires.The play’s simplistic characterisation is exacerbated by the production. Despite the intimacy of the theatre space, most of the actors, apart from Mark Kitto as Dr Vaernet, over-project, delivering lines in a heavy-handed manner that lacks nuance. Strong emotions are too often shouted, resulting in performances that seem flat and emotionally shallow. Savage is intended as a clarion call and an indictment. Its lack of finesse may be forgivable, but it does not make for particularly compelling theatre. The central point is made early and often, although the play is probably preaching to the already converted. Despite this, the subject demands attention. The shocking reality is that conversion therapy remains legal in over one hundred countries, including the United Kingdom, making the play’s message as urgent today as it is historically relevant.
Rated: ★★
Reviewed by J.C.
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