New shows for your groups FAREWELL MISTER HAFFMANN***** Park Theatre, London (until 12 April 2025).

Photo: Mark Senior

We’re in Paris 1942, during the Nazi occupation of France in the Second World War. Jewish Joseph Haffmann (Alex Waldmann) has sent his family to Switzerland for safety. He has remained in his jeweller’s shop in Paris but is worried about his future. He offers a deal to his employee, Pierre (Michael Fox), who is Catholic, handing over ownership of the shop to him in return for being hidden in the house. In return, Pierre asks his boss to agree to impregnate his wife, Isabelle (Jennifer Kirby) as he has been unable to get her pregnant.

Agreeing, Joseph is hidden in the cellar while the couple live and work upstairs.  Pierre manages a successful business based on his dealings with high-ranking Nazi officers.

The years pass marked by the coupling of Joseph and Isabelle once a month in keeping with her cycle. Pierre finds listening to the couple very difficult and he tap dances outside.

Amongst the Nazis that Pierre deals with is the real-life ambassador to Paris, Otto Abetz (Nigel Harman) and his French wife, Suzanne (Jemima Roper). When he invites the couple to dinner and Pierre, in disguise, joins them tension rises. The play finishes at VE Day 1945.

The audience sits rapt as we watch the story unfold. There is some humour in the play, written by award winning writer Jean-Philippe Daguerre, translated by Jeremy Sams. The terrible background of the Holocaust is always there in the piece which is well directed by Oscar Toeman. Superbly acted, particularly by the three main characters, it’s a must-see production.

Worthy of a group visit too is LAVENDER, HYACINTH, VIOLET, YEW **** at Bush Theatre, London (to 22 March). Taking on the main role of non-binary 19-year-old Pip, is the non-binary author, Coral Wylie. Assisted by three other actors it looks at the past and present lives of Pip’s parents, Craig (Wil Johnson) and Lorin (Pooky Quesnel) who are haunted by the death of their great friend, Duncan (Omari Douglas) who died of AIDS some 20 years ago.

It’s a promising debut by Wylie who captures the dynamics of a family relationship, dealing with grief, gender issues, gardening and racism. Helped in no small way by the director, Debbie Hannan and, particularly, the work of botanical designer, Dan Yeo, who fills the stage with a magnificent floral display. Catch the play before it ends.

Written by Carlie Newman