Good

Cecil Philip Taylor wrote just under 80 plays during his 16 years as a professional playwright, as well as writing for TV and radio. His plays are inspired by his Jewish background and Socialist views, often written in dialect. The themes Good deals with are just as relevant today. Good tells the story of a truly good man who slowly drifts into the ultimate evil. John Halder is well-meaning. As a liberal-minded university professor it’s shocking to see him gradually change until he takes a position high up in the Nazi Party’s administration. This is a frightening exploration of what happens when you passively drift into a state of mind where you find yourself rationalising evil.

Halder spends time caring for his blind and demented mum, his wife, and his three kids. Using his experiences to try and help people like his mum, he writes a book about the benefits of euthanasia for senile old people. This, along with his lyrical praise of German literature, attracts the attention of the Nazi Party. Little by little, Halder is absorbed into directing the Nazi death camps. The play is a cleverly-structured stream of consciousness, accompanied by the music that constantly plays inside the lead character’s mind. Originally staged at the London Warehouse in 1982, it has become enormously popular. Sadly this is a play for our times. As the world becomes more troubled thanks to climate change, pandemics and extreme right wing politics, it’s a piece of drama we should all take note of.