Copenhagen

By: Michael Frayn

Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Greta Scacchi

Benedict Cumberbatch, Greta Scacchi and Simon Russell Beale star in Michael Frayn's award-winning play about the controversial 1941 meeting between physicists Bohr and Heisenberg. Copenhagen, Autumn 1941.

The two presiding geniuses of quantum physics, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg meet for the first time since the breakout of war. Danish physicist Bohr and his wife, Margrethe, live in Nazi-occupied Denmark; their visitor, Heisenberg, is German, the two old friends, now on opposing sides have between them the ability to change the course of history.

Frayn's Tony award-winning play imagines the three characters re-drafting the events of 1941 in an attempt to make sense of them. With Greta Scacchi as Margrethe Bohr, Simon Russell Beale as Niels Bohr and Benedict Cumberbatch as Werner Heisenberg. This new version of Copenhagen is adapted for radio and directed by Emma Harding.

©2013 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2013 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

intriguing

This play reminds me a lot of Disappearing Numbers and Bent in the way that it manipulates dialogue and stream of consciousness. I don't know a great deal about physics, but I was hooked within the first five minutes. All of the performances are admirable, but I must commend Benedict Cumberbatch in particular for his portrayal of Werner Heisenberg; Cumberbatch's melding of humanity and intellectualism is flawless.

Here is the power and beauty of Language

Absolutely riveting from start to finish! The characters, the rhythm of the words, the ideas, all held me spell bound.

Gripping

At least I found it so. The drama centers on an encounter between the great quantum physicists and former friends Warner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr in 1942 at Bohr’s home in Copenhagen in the midst of World War II. It was an encounter that apparently actually took place, but which we know little about. At the time, Denmark, where Bohr lived, was occupied by Nazi Germany. Heisenberg, on the other hand, was now working in his native Germany towards the production of atomic weapons. The play gives three possible scenarios for what happened when they met, each one highly possible, each one mesmerizing. I couldn’t stop listening.

Amazing as Radio Drama

Truly exceptional performance by the trio of actors. The adaptation of the script was perfect for the medium. I’ve always been a huge fan of Copenhagen the script. It’s a difficult piece to pull off but when you can it can run you through the gamut of emotions. Simon Russell Beale, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Greta Scacchi lead you perfectly on the journey. Bravo.

My favorite audio book so far

I love this production. I'm a sucker for radio plays and plays about science and plays about moral conundrums, and this checks all of those boxes. The performances are lovely and subtle - the awkwardness at the beginning of their meeting is palpable. And I especially appreciate the sound design, the ambient noises and changing "locations" of the voices really give you a sense of people pacing a room or doing things as they're talking, which gives it extra depth and reality.