Sigmund Freud and Adolf Hitler never met. But what if they had?
Making its world premiere this autumn, Upstairs at the Gatehouse, from Thursday 4th - Sunday 28th September, Dr Freud Will See You Now, Mrs Hitler is a new dark comedy from BAFTA award-winning writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran (Birds of a Feather, BBC 1; Dreamboats and Petticoats, West End; The New Statesman, BBC 1).
This groundbreaking and plausible play reimagines a history in which Adolf Hitler visited Sigmund Freud for psychiatric treatment. This production by Chromolume, the in-house company at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, is backed by extensive research. The compelling story offers a new perspective on two profoundly influential figures of the 20th century who never met, but could have.
Set in late-19th century Vienna, the production takes inspiration from a recommendation given by Hitler’s childhood doctor that he should visit a children’s psychiatric clinic opened by the world-renowned psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. In reality, Adolf’s father refused to take him for treatment. This poignant new work explores whether the 20th century's greatest psychoanalyst could have saved humanity from the era’s greatest psychopath.
This new play offers a disturbing and darkly comic challenge to our pre-conceptions. It's possible you will never think about Hitler the same way again. A 60-minute version of the play was originally broadcast in 2007 as part of BBC Radio 4’s The Saturday Play. This production is the first time the show will be fully realised on stage.
Dr Freud Will See You Now, Mrs Hitler is a deeply researched piece, with strong connections to the Freud Museum in Hampstead – the location where the Freud family lived after escaping Vienna.