Story perspectives

Frayn's Play Explores Science, Politics Amid WWII Tensions

4/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

Michael Frayn's 1998 play revisits the 1941 meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg amid World War II.
Directed by Michael Longhurst, the production highlights tension between science and political violence and parallels U.S. President Donald Trump.
The play omits Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instead focusing on the fear of Hitler obtaining nuclear weapons.
Alex Kingston as Margrethe adds depth, but the Bohr–Heisenberg chemistry lacks intensity.

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Story summary

Michael Frayn's 1998 play revisits the 1941 meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg amid World War II.
Directed by Michael Longhurst, the production highlights tension between science and political violence and parallels U.S. President Donald Trump.
The play omits Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instead focusing on the fear of Hitler obtaining nuclear weapons.
Alex Kingston as Margrethe adds depth, but the Bohr–Heisenberg chemistry lacks intensity.