“I, I can remember
Standing by the wall
And the guns shot above our heads
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall”
– Heroes by David Bowie.
When Erich and Ada meet in 1964 even talking to each other is illegal. They are from opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, separated by its most symbolic landmark, the Berlin Wall.
When Erich crosses to the East he is surprised at how backward it all seems, until he realises the reason. He has stepped 25 years into the past. He struggles to understand why Ada hasn’t tried to escape, convinced that the West is best and knowing the future of the GDR. He is unable to see that she has ties there; family, memories and a belief that things might get better for her young country.
There might be a chance that Erich can get her out and of them living in the moment, the future now which she still thinks might just be stories. With the secret police breathing down their necks they struggle with the notions of fate, choice and hope.
Seeing the other side is difficult, as is being brave enough to step into the middle ground, the no-man’s land between. When you know exactly what’s going to happen there is nothing much to fear, but when the Wall falls Erich will discover that perhaps he was not the only one able to see into the future.
The production makes good use of its setting to add layers to the against-the-odds romance. While the time travel mechanic does require a suspension of disbelief and throws up the odd inevitable paradox it works well in examining the perception of other sides and states of mind.
The plot does get a little busy for its length with fate working overtime to tie things up but it’s clever, watchable and features some great, often charming, performances. Simply set with good costuming and without scenery it evokes a nostalgic black and white movie feel without falling into the trap of viewing the material through rose-tinted glasses.
With tickets priced at £4 you will think you are back in 1989.
Show Times: 14 – 19 August 2017 at 7.05 pm.
Tickets: £4 (£3).
Suitability: PG