Arcola Theatre has announced the cast for the world premiere of The Banality of Evil: Hannah Arendt, France, 1940, a new play written and directed by award-winning playwright Julia Pascal.
Running in Studio 2 from 7 October to 7 November 2026, the production explores a neglected chapter of history through the experiences of philosopher Hannah Arendt, artist Charlotte Salomon and teenage Communist Eva Daube.
Set in Camp Gurs, the largest French internment camp near the Spanish border, the play follows the three women after their arrest by the French authorities in 1940 as German forces advanced across Europe.
Before becoming internationally known for coining the phrase “the banality of evil”, Arendt was herself detained as an “undesirable” after fleeing Nazi Germany.
Drawing on testimony, archival research and Arendt’s own interviews, Pascal’s play examines the experiences of thousands of refugees who escaped Hitler only to be interned by the French state.
The cast is led by actor and comedian Mai Weisz (Two Palestinians Go Dogging, Royal Court Theatre) as Hannah Arendt.
She is joined by Anna Eckhard (Mamma Mia!, Habima Theatre) as Charlotte Salomon and Ariella Barnett (Habanera After Dark, Courtyard Theatre) as Eva Daube.
Pat Dynowska (Masters of the Air, Apple TV) plays Trude, while Helen Goldwyn (Fiddler on the Roof, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) takes on the role of Agathe. Anja Fahlenkamp joins the company as musical composition & arrangement/ensemble.
The production combines cabaret, physical theatre, satire and Brechtian theatricality with historical research and personal family testimony to tell the story of women caught between exile, imprisonment and survival.
Across the run, performances will also mark the anniversary of Charlotte Salomon’s murder on 10 October and the 100th birthday of Hannah Arendt on 14 October.
A world premiere from Pascal, whose previous work includes Blueprint Medea and Crossing Jerusalem, the production asks audiences to reflect on how prejudice can become policy and why these histories remain essential to remember.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
