Review of ‘Man to Man’ (Royal Court, 2026): “Tilda Swinton is still the man of the hour despite Urwin’s lack of action”

I wonder what it felt like to watch an emerging Tilda Swinton take the first major steps of her theatrical career in a play about gender bias, famine, and survival in Nazi Germany. I can see why some would fall in love with the piece. But more importantly, I can see why her portrayal was met with critical acclaim.

Sadly, I don’t happen to agree with the intellectual clique this time. Yes, she is a wonderful actress, and her magnetism onstage is undeniable. Moreover, I genuinely believe none of the flaws, even those affecting her rendition, are her fault. But they need to be discussed. And if that requires the easily triggered to man up, so be it.

As I leaf through the playtext after a not-so-engaging performance, I’m amazed by the vividness of Manfred Karge’s upbeat semipoetic drama. It brims with potential, but it doesn’t come without its challenges. In roughly 25 pages, the script covers a myriad of themes combined with sharp narrative turns. Not only that, but its mix of traditional action with stagnant existential segments (sometimes veering into the absurdist) creates a new layer of difficulty, which I’m not sure Stephen Urwin has successfully undertaken as a director.

There’s no doubt that this show demands more from its audience than usual. But even with that in mind, it’s not easy to connect. Read the text instead, and the reaction might be the complete opposite. It isn’t perfect, but its haunting poignancy surfaces almost instantly. This is the story of a young woman struggling to get by in Hitler’s regime, with no other option than occasionally disguising herself as her late husband to find work, while ominously reflecting on her situation and the human condition as a whole.

It spans too much in too little time, but with the right approach, it can compel. Urwin’s take on the material is extremely sterile and one-note. There’s no sense of journey, either emotionally or dramaturgically. Karge’s words fail to jump off the page, somehow losing meaning — and consequently, significance. There’s no proper visual translation. Everything comes off lifeless or gimmicky. And it rarely makes the impact it intends to.

Swindon’s performance is technically impeccable. She owns the stage from the second she walks in. Her execution teems with flair and authenticity, which is even more laudable given the character’s eccentric nature. However, Urwin’s interpretation ultimately undermines her delivery, which is always competent but not as soulful or touching as it should be.

Nearly 40 years since its London debut, Man To Man has returned home in a revival reuniting its original creative team and cast. That electricity imbues the result, which is always exciting to witness, especially given the names involved. But once you pass the fanboy threshold, you realise there’s more that could have been done and that unfortunately hasn’t — in a production that seems to offer more problems than solutions. And so, one can’t help but wonder if this reunification was all that worth it.

All pictures credit to Ruediger Glatz.

Man To Man plays at London’s Royal Court Theatre until 24 October. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara