Review: Farewell Mister Haffmann, Park Theatre

It is Paris, 1942, and Joseph Haffmann (Alex Waldmann), a Jew, strikes a deal with his employee and friend Pierre Vigneau (Michael Fox). Haffmann will give Vigneau ownership of his jewellery store, if he hides Haffmann from the Nazis, first in the attic, and then in the cellar. Park Theatre brings us the London premiere of Farewell Mister Haffmann, one of France’s most successful and long-running plays, and a winner of four Molière Awards.

Vigneau has an… unusual condition attached to the deal. He is infertile, and his wife Isabelle (Jennifer Kirby) desperately wants a baby, so he makes his own Indecent Proposal. Once a month, at the right time, Haffmann must sleep with his wife. As you might imagine, this causes some issues as the months go by, as jealousy and suspicion sneak in. Fox gives a tremendous performance, at first insistent that Haffmann sleep with his wife, then descending into despair and horror at the situation. Vigneau’s line about focusing on tap dancing lessons to distract himself pays off brilliantly. Both Waldmann and Kirby nicely lean into the initial surprise and discomfort of the proposal and subtly show their character’s relationship developing over the years, both in hiding and during their monthly appointments.

This is a black comedy; in case you haven’t figured that out already. Huge credit to Jeremy Sams for his adaptation of Jean-Philippe Daguerre’s play, for this never feels like a play in translation. Every line feels natural, and I would never have guessed it wasn’t originally written in English. The script zips along, finding a lot of humour in the strange situation and the even stranger relationships between the three.

Propaganda plays a large role, driving home how little some things have changed. Authentic (and horrific) radio broadcasts from the time are used to detail the so-called “Jewish threat,” showing us how such fake news was broadcast across France to convince the population that their struggles were caused by the Jews. Collaboration becomes another key theme; Vigneau’s success is built on a steady stream of Nazi party members buying his jewellery. He may be hiding a Jew in his cellar, but he is also profiting handsomely from serving the Nazis. Vigneau tries hard to justify this, never fully acknowledging out loud that everything he now has comes from the Nazis.

Later we are introduced to Otto Abetz (Nigel Harman), Abetz was a real-life figure – Germany’s Ambassador to Vichy France with a fondness for collecting art, and of course by collecting, I mean stealing. Harman gives a chilling performance as Abetz, who meets Vigneau through his now hugely successful jewellery shop and ends up invited to dinner. Jemima Rooper is a delight as Abetz’s wife, Suzanne; with no filter, and secure in her untouchable position, she says whatever she pleases. This is mined for dark comedy, heightening the dinner’s strange, uneasy atmosphere. You can feel the awkwardness emanating throughout the theatre. Full marks to director Oscar Toeman for the tension here; the staging of the dinner balanced perfectly on a knife edge, with danger lurking beneath every word. The dinner also brings a significant shift in tone from the first hour, but this feels seamless. When the story takes unexpected turns, we may be caught off guard, but it’s clear they don’t come out of nowhere.

Farewell Mister Haffmann is a masterful evening of tension and black comedy, with themes and warnings from history that still reverberate today. From Daguerre’s original to Sams’ seamless adaptation, Toeman’s precise direction and an excellent cast, all are in perfect sync.

Written by: Jean-Phillipe Daguerre
Adapted by: Jeremy Sams
Directed by: Oscar Toeman
Produced by: Norel Productions & Adam Blanshay Productions in association with Park Theatre

Farewell Mister Haffmann plays at Park Theatre until Saturday 12 April.