A new play by Lawrence Marks and Maurice Gran, the writers of Birds of a Feather, feels like a major event. This is a period drama that examines an imaginary association between Hitler and Freud and develops into an enquiry about the nature of evil.

As Hitler grows into adulthood he gravitates towards the Freud family, muscling in on their summer holidays

The play opens with a scene from Hitler’s childhood, as his father, Alois, thrashes the young boy while his mother watches and weeps helplessly. This tableau is oddly hilarious because it explains in simple domestic terms the unimaginable horrors of the 20th century. As a teenager, Hitler meets Freud by accident and shares his dream of becoming a painter and an opera composer. ‘A Renaissance man,’ chuckles Freud.

In need of a decorator, he hires Hitler to paint his new apartment and to perform odd jobs like shifting the famous couch into the consultation room. Hitler enlists a passing visitor, Carl Jung, to help with the heavy lifting. This is a hilarious idea. But the dialogue between the three figures might have yielded more comedy. As Hitler grows into adulthood he gravitates towards the Freud family, muscling in on their summer holidays and begging Freud’s........

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