The world premiere of a new adaptation of The Passenger by Nadya Menuhin, based on the critically acclaimed novel by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz, and directed by the multi-award-winning former Artistic Director of the Young Vic, Tim Supple, opens at the renowned Finborough Theatre for a five-week limited season on Monday, 10 February 2025.
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| Robert Neumark Jones and Kelly Price. Photo by Steve Gregson. |
The Passenger stars Ben Fox (Mother Courage (Southwark Playhouse), Troilus and Cressida and Bedroom Farce (Theatr Cymru), Blitz (Steve McQueen, Apple TV+); Eric MacLennan (Summer and Smoke (Duke of York’s Theatre and Almeida Theatre), Three Sisters (Almeida Theatre), Brave New World and 1984 (Creation Theatre Company)); Dan Milne (More Grimm Tales, The Jungle Book, As I Lay Dying and Twelfth Night (The Young Vic), Grimm Tales (The Young Vic and International Tour), The Comedy of Errors (Royal Shakespeare Company)); Robert Neumark Jones (One Jewish Boy (Old Red Lion Theatre and Trafalgar Studios), The Mikvah Project (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond), A Very Royal Scandal (Amazon MGM Studios)); Kelly Price (Grantchester, Endeavour (ITV), Flowers for Mrs Harris (Riverside Studios), The Sex Party and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Menier Chocolate Factory)).
Shot through with Hitchcockian tension, The Passenger is the terrifyingly absurd story of Otto Silbermann, a criminal on the run who hasn’t committed a crime.
Ahead of the run we sat down with Robert Neumark Jones to learn more about the piece.
What can you tell me about The Passenger and your role as Otto Silbermann?
The Passenger is a thrilling exciting drama set in 1938 Germany about what life was like for the people back then, not only for Jews and other enemies of the state but also for regular Germans. It’s an interesting period of history because it’s set before World War II, but the looming threat of the conflict is there. The society that the Nazis have created and the Germans find themselves in, particularly Jews, is a very restrictive and repressive society and Otto finds himself in the unenviable position of being a Jew that hasn’t left Germany yet - partly because he is married to an Aryan and doesn’t ’look Jewish’ - but now finds that leaving is almost impossible even though that is exactly what he must attempt to do!
What attracted you to the role?
The role attracted me for a number of different reasons, but I would say primarily because there are an almost eerie number of parallels between my family history and the story of both Otto and Ulrich the author. So for example, both Ulrich and my grandfather Ernst left Germany in the early/mid 30s, they both went to England, they both were interred as enemy aliens at the pleasure of the English state despite being both Jews of course. Both of their fathers had fought for Germany in World War I and considered themselves German first and Jewish second, and there are all sorts of other parallels for example in the book Otto’s son is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris which is exactly where my grandfather studied. So there were so many parallels and fascinating historical coincidences that I was immediately drawn to the role. But then beyond that of course the writing of the book is so present and urgent and Nadya‘s adaptation really brings all of that directness and clarity to the forefront and makes it such a compelling and absorbing narrative. What actor wouldn’t be attracted?
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| Robert Neumark Jones. |
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run?
With great difficulty! Honestly though this is a very taxing production - there is a lot physically to go through. It’s a very demanding show, there’s lots of very fast paced movement and changes and I’m wearing quite a lot of clothing, and so I have to have to be in good physical shape just to take the thing on! So part of that is the normal rehearsal process and also making sure I’m physically fit plus doing Dry January obviously helps with that. Mentally is a whole different kettle of fish, especially as Otto has a very difficult set of experiences to go through, but I think a lot of the trick with acting is that of course you have to inhabit the character and the truth of the world, but that doesn’t mean that once the rehearsal or performance finished you have to carry that with you. That’s the difference between the Stanislavsky method and the Vakhtangov method. I think some actors get a reputation for being difficult or pretentious because they are so “method“ but actually it depends what method they are using. In my opinion, there’s no need to be the character in all of your life all of the time! But while you’re doing the show preparing for the show performing the show, then you should be the character.
How do you approach finding and building your version of the character?
For me, finding and building my version of Otto was based initially of course on my grandfather Ernst, who was a very proper person and quite serious a lot of the time. His catchphrase was Alles in Ordnung (everything in order) which is exactly the type of person that Otto is. He is someone who has a very strict sense of what is right and wrong, of what is proper and improper, and so I was able to talk to my mum and go back through my grandfather‘s old writings, his letters and start building upon that very firm foundation. That's the groundwork and then during rehearsals and preparation the characters and the world eventually become their own piece.
Why do you think this story written back in 1938 will make an impact to audiences in 2025?
I think that good stories are timeless and the fact is we read stories written far earlier than 1938 still making an impact in 2025, so I don’t think that’s a real problem, but actually the reason this will make even more of an impact I think is because of the modern parallels with autocratic regimes and repressive societies, and I think we’re seeing a lot of that currently, especially with the swing politically in the world to the right, to more restrictive and isolationist ways of thinking. This story is set just before some of the most horrific events in the world ever and I think it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that those kinds of things could happen again and this story is in some ways a warning and also a reminder that they can happen anywhere and to anyone, without ever being a preachy or moralising show.
Where did your theatre career begin?
My theatre career began when I was four years old and my mum cast me as Puck in a school play so that means it began in North London, but my professional career began when I left university in 2008 and got an agent and did all kinds of fringe work and my own productions here and there before I then went to drama school and trained and learned really what the trade and craft was. So all my work before that was sort of me flailing around not really knowing what to do, and since then largely the same, but with at least some understanding of what I’m doing underneath it.
What was the first piece of theatre you saw that had a big impact on you?
The first piece of theatre I saw that had a big impact on me? That’s really difficult because I’ve been going to the theatre since I was very young and I don’t have a very good memory from for my early years. I was always a lover of theatre and I think that must’ve been because I saw so much of it and really enjoyed it but I can’t really name any of those productions without asking my mother!
What keeps you inspired?
What keeps me inspired is actually watching theatre regularly today. I go very often and I love the theatre still and I see all kinds of things. I (fairly) recently saw the revival of Jerusalem, having seen the original production when it transferred to the Apollo in 2010, and it was amazing to see Mark Rylance and a lot of the old cast come back and that was very inspirational. Seeing these actors revisit these roles and reinvigorate them and produce astonishing performances and in a big theatre, just hearing a pin drop and watching just the mastery of craft. Other things that inspire me are that I teach as well and seeing young people learn and sparkle is something that always keeps my creativity alight as well as of course my brilliant wife and my cat.
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing The Passenger?
I hope that the audience takes something profound with them that they didn’t expect to take. I think we have a very unique show. I think it tells a story that isn’t really ever told. There are lots of plays of course about the holocaust and the Nazis but this play is set before the holocaust, and in fact it’s written by someone who died in 1942 on a boat in the middle of the ocean before the world really found out what the Nazis were doing. This show tells perhaps a different story than people are used to seeing, but I think that makes it all the more powerful. I think (or at least hope!) that the audience will be really excited and energised by the thrilling fast paced and right in the action nature of the play, and so I think they’ll get the raw excitement, emotion and buzz from any good theatre production that you normally get, but then I also hope that they take away some of the more deeper reflections on the human condition.
Where can readers see the show?
The show is on at the Finborough Theatre in London from Monday, 10 February – Saturday, 15 March 2025. There are performances on Monday, 10 February at 7.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7.30pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3.00pm.
Tickets are available from http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/
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