Ludwig and Bertie

See it if You like historical dramas. This is interesting, well acted and given a lot of energy trying to make it come to life.

Don't see it if You have no interest in learning anything about either of the two principles. They spend way too much time moving set pieces around.

See it if You like these two philosophers or knowing a little about them. Good acting and directing. About two completley different people.

Don't see it if If you need something that requires less attention or something like. It helps to know who these people are before you go to see it.

See it if you are interested in 20th century history or philosophy or both.

Don't see it if neither history nor philosophy interest you: In this play the drama of the situations almost requires an outside framework.

Also I enjoyed every minute of “Ludwig and Bertie,” but have to admit it probably depended on my lifelong amateur fascination with philosophy, & in Wittgenstein among philosophers. I’m also old enough to remember when Russell was still a public figure (& pacifist). I usually don’t like onstage dramas that use techniques—very short scenes, lots of blackouts & shifts of scene—that are more suited to film. But here the shifts of stage pieces between scenes almost felt like a philosophical game, & gave me time to think. I can’t say whether this between-scene lag time is at all profitable for non-philosophy buffs. I particularly like that the playwright finds the humor in almost every situation, that he doesn’t try to make Wittgenstein likable & that he ends the 1st of 2 parts on a luminous stage picture that feels like the physical counterpart to a great philosophical idea. The 4 actors playing both title characters, George Moore & Ottoline Morrell all distinguish themselves.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to experience a good biographical play that makes complex philosophy comprehensible while acknowledging the influence of history.

Don't see it if you dislike plays depicting serious subjects even with a sprinkling of humor and interesting staging.

See it if you like good character studies and the conflict between two very different people. Wonderful acting and effective staging.

Don't see it if you don't like talk about philosophy much of which was above my head. The great characters made it worth it.

See it if You enjoy period pieces...Changes of set every 15 minutes or so...

Don't see it if A very long play with very little to say...

See it if you're interested in philosophy especially Wiggenstein & Russell; historical plays; UK academia; enjoy new plays.

Don't see it if you're uninterested in history of philosophy,know little about it,dislike "Wikipedia come to life plays," prefer polished, well-staged play

Also This play might be better with better staging. There are dozens of scene changes in which rotating blackboards & furniture are moved about, often by the cast. I found these extremely irritating after a while. The boards are numbered-maybe to help the movers?--& these numbers are easier to see than some of the things written on them as part of the play, especially when chalk was erased and then overwritten. (Lighting was very dim.)In 2 cases I couldn't decipher whatever was written at all.
It helps to have some knowledge of philosophy because the play does very little to explain the protagonists' differing views. I read this AFTER seeing the play. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wittgenstein/ If you aren't knowledgeable about philosophy, I'd recommend reading it or something similar before seeing this play.
The topic is interesting & the play has merit, but the play needs work & much better staging.... Read more Read less

See it if you have an interest in philosophy. It's helpful to have some familiarity with the characters and their relationship beforehand.

Don't see it if philosophy and philosophers bore you.

Also i had trouble hearing some of the fast-talking actors so I would recommend you sit close.... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like an intellectual feast laid out by Stan Buturla & Connor Bond as the sparring Bertie & Ludwig, both mathemeticians & philosophers.

Don't see it if you dislike philosophy or big ideas set against the history of Europe's last 2 great wars.

Also The low-budget theater offers a stationary set w/ actors changing scenes throughout mostly w/ blackboards, chairs & benches, all a bit distracting.

Yet this piece is far better directed than playwright Douglas Lackey's Arendt-Heidegger of October 2018. It's much better written, too. He explores the guts of the friendship between the 2 philsophical giants, which stirs curiosity & thinking long after the last line.

And how perfect (albeit coincidental) that this play opened the night after Malaysia's 94-year-old PM Mahathir Mohamad railed against the Jews at Columbia University.

“When you say ‘you cannot be anti-Semitic,’ there is no free speech," he told a packed auditorium.

In this play at least, such hatred drew Witgenstein, a non-Jewish Jew, back into his family's roots, when Hitler classified his 2 brothers & sister as Jews and threatened them w/ death.

But it's the spirited acting coupled w/ rich philosophy & humanism that makes this play shine. Highly recommended theater.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see the relationship of 2 bright philosophers who have 2 different points of view about life and logic.

Don't see it if This is small scale theater that packs a punch...very talky but worth seeing

See it if you want to luxuriate in the brilliance of two great philosophers of different culture and temperament seeking to understand Essential Truth

Don't see it if u r uninterested the heady brew of such questions as the nature of ''fact", the primacy of the scientific world view, the role of language

Also Lest you surmise that this piece is dry and bloodless, let me disabuse you of that idea. These are passionate people in sincere pursuit of Understanding who the course of their long, and often contentious relationship deepen their own points of view. Wittgenstein, younger by 20 years than Russel
eventually overtakes his mentor/friend/sometime father figure as the predominant voice in philosophical thought pre and post WWll. Russel is more cool with pacifist tendencies, and Wittgenstein hot tempered and active during the war. As others have mentioned, the staging is marred by frequent clanging set changes hectically made by the actors themselves; the recorded period music used in these intervals doesn't have enough power to overcome this clatter. TNC runs on a shoestring. They deserve our support, and this production though deserving of better is most worthy of your attention if you have any interest in the subject matter.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a portrayal of the relationship over nearly 40 years of two intellectual giants done by two capable actors.

Don't see it if you mind a possibly boring play with some production issues, and a ton of dead time and a wealth of characters who serve no purpose.

Also This play should be rewritten as a two person dialogue play done in only few scenes. The first act is a disaster that almost made me leave. Ludwig is actively dislikable early. The play, particularly early, has so much dead time due to numerous short scenes, many of which are unnecessary other than to get aspects of history in and if even needed could have been covered in exposition. While I thought Ludwig and Bertie were performed by highly capable actors I will critize both for not portraying aging. I think particularly in Russell he goes from the late prime of life to elderly and I don't think gets enough milage with the change. Russell changes philosophy some but doesn't really grow as a character. Ludwig does, somewhat. If you are very interested in philosophy go, if not don't, this is a poorly written play at this time, but might be fixable if the authors are still revisiting it as there are good scenes and ideas here.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Bertrand Russel, Ludwig Wittgenstein or philosphy/logic. I delighted in seeing them come to life. I enjoyed Ludwig's development.

Don't see it if your idea of entertainment does not include surface level discussions of European male philosophical ideas. This play isn't more.

See it if interested in philosophy or history

Don't see it if avoiding mostly-cerebral plays

Also A decent production of a decent play, there is much to enjoy and much to forgive. The direction is at times playful and at times musty, where every short scene requires furniture being dragged to the stage or awkward costume changes. The acting is decent-to great, though "Ludvig" can adopt some variety in expressing rage. The attempt to convey philosophical ideas is only somewhat successful but then plays like this are mere appetizers. All in all, great to have historical plays like Ludvig and Bertie on stage!... Read more Read less

See it if you are truly interested in learning more about 2 men who made a huge difference in each other's lives.

Don't see it if you are not interested in true stories.

See it if If philosophy, history and madness interest you

Don't see it if you are looking for light or amusing theater

See it if you are au courant with 20th century philosophical debates.

Don't see it if you could care less about philosophical approaches to logic.

See it if You are interested in philosophy and/or history based shows.

Don't see it if You are looking for a big Broadway musical.

See it if you are interested in philosophy and the lives and ideas of two of its greatest practitioners.

Don't see it if If you aren't interested in philosophy or history or are looking for something light.

See it if you are versed in philosophy; if the piece had a heart, it must have come up in act two.

Don't see it if you are not; I found it too brainy for its own good and could not engage to stay past intermission.

See it if you want to see strong actors play smart characters saying smart and thought provoking things. A well conceived show done... well.

Don't see it if you don't care for philosophy or wordy shows. This one has a lot of both!

Also I really liked this show and thought it was well directed and very well acted. I like the use of the chalkboards to delineate scenes and locations, and the choreography of their movements was very impressive, but I found it took more time and slowed the pace at times. But overall, really neat design idea.... Read more Read less

See it if You like to see historical characters depicted authentically and in context. Never boring, it brings to life an abstruse academic debate

Don't see it if you had to look up who Ludwig and Bertie were. Some background on the protagonists and their milieu is helpful to appreciate the play

Also Well written and well directed, this play about two Cambridge philosophers manages to be interesting and immediate, while also historically accurate more or less. Similar to Isaac's Eye and Photograph 51, you will enjoy it particularly if you are interested in the history of science and familiar with major personalities in the 20th century. Bertie was an easy (type)cast and while Ludwig takes you on the journey with him, he remains incomprehensible.... A long play but not tiresome... Read more Read less

See it if you like profound, serious, talky plays about reality and other esoteric ideas in philosophy

Don't see it if you want light entertainment and philosophy bores you.

See it if you want to see how philosophers have a battle of wits.

Don't see it if you want to see how philosophers have a battle of wits.

See it if Good acting and interesting topic, one out of control genius and another fatherly mentor.

Don't see it if If you don't like a lot of talking, or get impatient with short scenes and lots of furniture moving.

Also I think the scenery is over-wrought, less furniture and more action!