Review by Harry Bower
⭐️⭐️⭐️
A piece of theatre about a military operation with a significant impact on the trajectory of World War Two, playing at Southwark Theatre? No, it’s not the Broadway-bound Operation Mincemeat. Canned Goods is about as far away from an uplifting musical about a plucky group of underdogs as it’s possible to be. Instead, it is an intense ninety minute self-proclaimed ‘edge of your seat thriller’ about the very real dangers of propaganda and unchecked power. With just five performers and a claustrophobic prison set, Erik Kahn’s piece tells a little known yet fascinating story of how the war began.

I have a lot of thoughts, of course. But first, a history lesson. On 31 August 1939, a German special military operation codenamed ‘Grandmother Died’ was enacted, in which the S.S planted supposedly Polish attacking troops in a radio station controlled by the Reich. The operation was part of the overarching plan to justify Hitler’s invasion of Poland, which was subsequently successful and began the very next day, and to prevent Western allies from leaping too quickly to Poland’s defence.
In Canned Goods, we spend most of our time with the three innocent Germans captured by the S.S and imprisoned ahead of being used as faux-Polish bait. An ordinary farmer, a poor but loyal young lad cum petty thief, and a professor who happens to be jewish contemplate their fate, their conversations only interrupted by the sadist guard or manipulative mastermind Major Naujacks. Together they bicker, debate, and pray. In small tableaus we hear more of their backstories; what made them tick and how they ended up as ‘canned goods’, ready to be used by the regime.

The setup has promise, though often the same conversation repeated over and over seems a wasted opportunity for development. After all, how many times can an audience listen to the same questions about the men’s fate? While the three are left in the dark, so are the audience - about anything other than the very specific and linear conversations which seem as though they must be taking place over a longer period of time than one day, but aren’t. The writing is a huge mixed bag, from brilliant and thought-provoking, uncomfortable and poetic - to inconsistent and occasionally cringeworthy, particularly toward the end when the fourth wall is broken.
The ensemble cast is very strong indeed. Charlie Archer and Dan Parr are standouts as the Professor and Major respectively, but all five are utterly convincing. Tom Wells has a particularly difficult job impressively impersonating Hitler before immediately transforming back into his humble farmer persona. The decision to have the performers speak in their native accents is a good one - not only does it avoid stereotypical and borderline offensive accents which would no doubt limit the casting talent pool, it also enables the audience to better connect with the idea that something this abhorrent could easily happen on our doorstep.

Despite its historical muse happening almost nine decades ago, it’s fair to say that the themes of propaganda, fake news, unclear motives and raging antisemitism remain sadly very relevant. Kahn doesn’t shy away from that and Canned Goods is at its fervent best when screaming it at the top of its lungs, shocking the audience into submission while making salient and intelligent analysis of both the axis of evil and the German people’s susceptibility to the hatred of Jewish people. Surely, a play about fake news premiering on the day of Trump’s inauguration is no coincidence.
Unfortunately the piece seems a victim of its own marketing. ‘Edge of your seat thriller’, it is not. It is a fascinating dissection of an operation which, until today, I’d never heard of, and is performed with enthusiasm and energy by some talented folk. Its production value also holds merit - particularly the atmospheric, oppressive and claustrophobic lighting design by Ryan Joseph Stafford - but at ninety minutes long it feels a struggle. Well worth a visit if you’re into anything World War Two.
Canned Goods plays at Southwark Playhouse until Saturday 08 February 2025. For more information visit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/canned-goods/