Marylebone Theatre – until 13 April 2025
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
2**
Seven years ago, I reviewed a wonderful play about The White Rose, and was interested to see how this vital story could be told as a musical. Sadly, the only similarities in my review will be in the next paragraph, as this well-meaning but strangely unengaging musical needs a lot of revision to become a production worthy of the group.
I first heard about The White Rose about 20 years ago in a German pub. Living in Germany, I had seen various Geshwister Scholl schools but had no idea who the Scholls were. That changed when I got pulled into an argument by a drunk student trying to convince his friends to sign a letter of protest – about what I can’t remember – with increasingly incoherent and sweary references to The White Rose. When I asked what The White Rose was, I was met with resigned smiles and sat in awe as the (sober) students told me about their acts of resistance during WW2. I suppose their story didn’t quite fit with the Allies’ narrative about the war in the 20th century, but now it is astounding that a group so admired and revered by the youth of Germany – Alexander Schmorell is now a saint – is largely unknown in the UK. The strangely sterile German films made about the group haven’t helped, but their story has been skilfully told in books over the years.
A rousing opening number soon gives way to stilted exposition, without really making it clear where the action takes place. The cast use their own accents, which is wonderful, but one young audience member was under the illusion that these were English exchange students unlucky enough to be stuck in Munich during WW2! Perhaps some projections to establish a clearer sense of place, time, and the realities of life in Hitler’s Germany would ease the audience into the story more easily.
As Sophie Scholl (Collette Guitart) and her older brother Hans (Tobias Turley) join with fellow students to spread the truth about Hitler’s policies and the reality of war, they clash with older, more cautious resistance groups. The students and their professor continue printing and distributing leaflets, until a final act of boldness brings the Gestapo down on them.
Brian Belding’s book and lyrics are earnest, but the production screams THIS IS IMPORTANT and lacks subtlety, depth, or human connection. A romantic subplot made me expect a riff on a Sound of Music song. A past betrayal could have made for an interesting discussion about duty and protection, but as in so many disagreements in this production, the arguments end abruptly and everyone is on the same page again after a random philosophical or moral soundbite. The bravery shown and the decisions made appear diminished with such cursory treatment. The speed of the group’s downfall – 4 days from being reported by a janitor to their sentencing and execution – is not obvious or urgent, and what could have been a heartbreakingly moving final scene is muted and unaffecting.
Director Will Nunziata overeggs the pudding with Nazis looming silently over the stage as the students plot. Unfortunately, the lighting is reminiscent of the dancing Nazis in Operation Mincemeat, so this did not have the intended sobering effect. Natalie Brice’s music is stirring, but there is too much jarring light and shade. As each character sings, nearly every song has quiet internal thoughts, then a huge crescendo and guitar as they belt their determination or disgust, and it begins to feel repetitive and again diminishes the emotional weight of the story.
Having the characters face the audience as they belt also makes their emotion feel performative and disconnected.
None of this is the fault of the talented cast, who give powerhouse performances, with Collette Guitart and Tobias Turley shining as the Scholls and Owen Arkrow, Danny Whelan, and Mark Wilshire fantastic as their colleagues Willi Graff, Christoph Probst, and Kurt Huber. Alexander Schmorell and Traute Lafrenz do not appear in this production, which is a little puzzling. Charley Robbie impresses as Lila, a Jew inspired by the White Rose to join the resistance movement.
Further work is needed on the book to find an engaging emotional hook rather than what feels like we the audience are being given a rapid-fire rundown of events. This is an important story, with many warnings from history that are extremely relevant today, and this importance may have weighed too heavily on the creative team. In its current form, this musical does not convey the sacrifice and bravery of these people.