Review: A Thing of Beauty (Theatre at the Tabard)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Theatre, as a medium, is filled with such potential. It can make you feel powerful emotions, open up difficult discussions, and bring lesser-known parts of history to life. No other art form holds such potential. And above a small, unassuming pub in Chiswick, a brand new play is achieving it all, or, at least, it’s trying to.

The true story of Leni Riefenstahl is an interesting one, and so perfectly suited to dramatisation. An innovative German filmmaker, Riefenstahl was the only female director to be recognised on the Times’ Top 100 films list, yet her image has been greatly squandered by her affiliation with the Nazi Party (and a particular closeness with Adolf Hitler), for whom she directed several propaganda films. A Thing of Beauty sets us in 1970s London, where Leni shall be interviewed by the BBC, whose main aim is to expose her.

I’m going to have to start this review with my main criticism of the piece. Although the story of Leni Riefenstahl can, admittedly, open a fascinating discussion, the play greatly overestimates the audience’s familiarity with her work. While I’m sure that many film buffs will view her as a greatly influential personality, it feels that, for a 2026 audience, most people will be going in with minimal knowledge beyond what’s explained in the programme. This means that, when the play discusses her various works by title, we’re left struggling to follow. When we’re watching debates over her Nazi propaganda films, we feel excluded because we simply do not know enough. Once we’ve got halfway through the play, we feel more familiar, but there’s no reason why this shouldn’t happen earlier- the show begins with a video compilation which could very easily offer some necessary exposition, for example.

Wendy Oberman and Jonathan Lewis’ writing is, in general, quite strong. Characters feel fleshed out and, particularly by the end, scenes have genuine tension and emotion. It’s a compelling story with some great scenes- watching Leni’s interview play out is brilliant theatre. However, it currently runs at ninety-five minutes (with no interval), and would probably benefit from changing this. Revelations on Leni’s beliefs come too suddenly, without it feeling like the interviewer has earned it, and, more importantly, without the suspenseful build-up that the premise demands. Adding more material would give it scope to do this, and to put more focus on the several subplots they weave in (we touch on misogyny, infidelity, and differing experiences of war across the 20th century). Similarly, cutting half an hour could help focus the piece while strengthening the overall drama.

Beyond simply telling this story, though, it does feel like the production has more it could say. Although potentially cliched, it seems set up for a debate on separating the art from the artist, which could have led to some interesting commentary. At one point, I thought it might have been leaning in an unconventional direction, and asking whether a great artist can be forgiven for art they were forced to make, which would have been genuinely fascinating. However, despite such potential to open these debates, the main question the production seems to ask is “Is it okay to like a Nazi if they’re charismatic”, which is expectedly difficult to get behind. When they’re sat having impassioned debates around this, it just seems like a disappointing waste of potential.

The direction (also by Jonathan Lewis) balances the politics and the emotion well and provides some dynamic and engaging staging. Each scene captivates as we watch with beady eyes. Haunting live cello (by Oona Lowther) seamlessly fills the small space during transitions, and video is used sparingly, but effectively. Sometimes we do lose sight of what the play is truly about, but we’re quickly shifted back on track, with the tone never becoming too light.

Imogen Stubbs stars as Leni Riefenstahl in a brilliant performance. From her first moments on stage, she shines with an undoubtedly likeable charisma, which makes her character’s views even more of an internal debate. Despite often hiding behind an emotionless façade, Stubbs lets Leni’s defences slip occasionally, offering some enthralling insights. A performance as layered as the character, it is Stubbs who provides us the strongest insights into who Leni Riefenstahl really was.

The supporting cast is equally strong, each achieving such genuine characterisations in every scene that you feel like a fly on the wall, watching conversations you aren’t welcome in. Tony Bell plays Harry, the interviewer who forms a shocking connection with Leni, in a subtly emotional performance, providing the audience with someone to root for. Other notable mentions must go to Harry Rundle’s hilariously awkward assistant and Thomas Craig’s soundman, Billy, who delivers the most emotionally potent monologue of the evening.

Ultimately, this is a play in a good place for a six-performance, premier run. There’s the backbone of a good story here, and the writing shows real promise, in a production undoubtedly boosted by a strong cast. Providing some further exposition and refining the script to improve the production’s overall message are all it needs to earn itself a further life, and I, for one, am certainly intrigued to see what it achieves.

A Thing Of Beauty plays at Theatre at the Tabard until 1st March. Tickets from https://tabard.org.uk/whats-on/a-thing-of-beauty/