A Woman in Berlin 1945
Drama · Physical theatre
Age suitability: 16+ (Guideline)
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Tom Corradini
PERFORMED BY: Magda Pohl
Berlin, April 1945. The Red Army closes in on the city.
A young woman — one of thousands — faces the collapse
of a world and the horror of what follows.
Loosely inspired by the anonymous diary “Eine Frau in Berlin”
and Antony Beevor’s “Berlin 1945: The Downfall”, this production
tells a largely forgotten story: the systematic violence against
German women in the final weeks of World War II.
Sexual violence is not depicted graphically — it is evoked
through Indian rhythms and dances.
A story of survival, memory, and dignity.
DIRECTOR’S NOTES: This is a show about memory —
and about forgetting. The violence suffered by nearly
two million women in Germany in 1945 remained a
taboo subject for decades.
I wanted to bring this story to the stage not as a
document of horror, but as an act of remembrance.
Theatre can give voice to what history has silenced.
Edinburgh Fringe 2026 · 6–21 August
This show has now concluded its Fringe run. For future dates and touring information: www.tomcorradini.it
❝ Powerful and moving, a fine solo performance on an important theme ❞
❝ Absolutely amazing, one of the most impressive solo performances I have seen! I was truly transported to 1945 and fully immersed in the intensity of the Russians invading and occupying Berlin! ❞
❝I was not alone in having tears in my eyes at its conclusion. Highly recommended❞
❝A deeply emotional expressive physical theatre piece addressing an aspect of WW2 not widely known.❞
❝An intense yet often beautiful solo performance❞
❝Poignant and convincing. The atmosphere of violence and terror is brilliantly evoked. ❞
❝A moving performance expressing emotion through dance and theatre of a dark period in WW2 history that few people know of. Telling a story of war from the perspective of women’s & children’s lived experiences through physical theatre is timely and chilling at once. Highly recommended!❞
❝Superb and moving piece of theatre.❞
Professional critics
★★★★
The Student
“The direction of this play is fantastic. Through the woman’s emotive monologue, supported by effective lighting changes and surrounding sounds of artillery, a vivid picture of war-torn, collapsing Berlin is painted. As an audience member, it is powerful to see the empty space of the stage transform into the desperate city of Berlin, achieved entirely through Pohl’s expressive movement and speech. By bringing an underrepresented topic to the centre of discussion, A Woman in Berlin 1945 stands as a show of great significance in this year’s Fringe”
TOURING & BOOKING INFORMATION
For programmers and festival directors:
BIO OF THE ACTOR
MAGDA POHL. Italian-German actress trained at the Philip Radice’s Atelier del Teatro Fisico. She has performed lead and supporting roles in TV and theatre, including productions such as La Fame (2016), Salt—the Marvelous Puppet Show (2016–2019), I Progenitori (2014), and Dolly (2013–2014). Voice-over artist and narrator for audiobooks and radio in German.
A WOMAN IN BERLIN 1945 ON AMAZON
The script for the show is also available on Amazon in Kindle format.
All plays written by Tom Corradini are published on Amazon. We believe in making our scripts accessible because we know that reading them is a completely different experience from seeing the show live. Our theater is highly physical—what is seen on stage goes far beyond what can be captured in words on a page.