The Damned
84

The Damned NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%
(66 Ratings)
Positive
92%
Mixed
6%
Negative
2%
Members say
Great staging, Great acting, Ambitious, Intense, Absorbing

About the Show

Tony Award-winning director Ivo van Hove premieres of his adaptation of Luchino Visconti’s dark drama 'The Damned,' with the historic walls of the Wade Thompson Drill Hall forming the backdrop for this production.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (66)

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181 Reviews | 25 Followers
100
Profound, Relevant, Resonant, Riveting, Thought-provoking

See it if you want epic theatre with intelligence and relevance

Don't see it if you want fluff

446 Reviews | 81 Followers
99
Revolutionary, Bleak, Meticulous, Spectacular

See it if you want to see a new frontier in theatrical staging.

Don't see it if you are offended by excessive nudity and violence. Read more

494 Reviews | 123 Followers
98
Powerful, Masterful, Unforgettable

See it if you enjoy intense theater, genius direction, memorable combination of stage & video and an experience that will haunt you days after.

Don't see it if you're offended by cruelty,violence and nudity on stage..but seriously the 20th century & our times force us to not look away - do not miss!

248 Reviews | 66 Followers
95
Riveting, Powerful, Relentless, Great staging, Great acting

See it if You like theater raw, like to be challenged, don’t mind subtitles, are challenged by actors stripping themselves bare (literal/figurative).

Don't see it if You’re offended by violence, nudity, the story Nazi Germany, need linear storytelling, like staging, hate multimedia, or want a happy show. Read more

104 Reviews | 20 Followers
95
Absorbing, Confusing, Great staging, Great writing

See it if This is tough theater,but incredibly exciting.there is not one thing that I would change. It’s in French ,but you will understand it.

Don't see it if Hard to understand,speaking French would help. The subject matter is tough,there is lots of nudity

206 Reviews | 40 Followers
95
Exquisite, Edgy, Great acting, Intense, Must see

See it if you want to see one of the most brilliantly staged, acted & directed plays this year. This intense play is a must see. You cannot look away!

Don't see it if Blood, Nudity or seeing a play in a foreign language will annoy you. This show deals with Nazi Germany if this is a trigger for you dont go Read more

311 Reviews | 494 Followers
95
Edgy, Great staging, Intense, Thought-provoking

See it if you adore Ivo's directorial work. This is not to be missed. A truly jaw-dropping, reflective + relevant piece that resonates strongly today.

Don't see it if you're triggered by intense violence, guns, nudity, and anything remotely shocking you could think of in connection to WWII era Germany

104 Reviews | 11 Followers
95
Great acting, Great staging, Great writing, Masterful, Profound

See it if profound and gripping visceral portrayal of a corrupt, powerful and evil German family that reflects the conditions giving rise to hitle

Don't see it if You would rather avoid a disturbing play that has violence and nudity, French supertitles and the use of multi media.

Critic Reviews (22)

The New York Times
July 18th, 2018

“Astonishing...Despite Mr. van Hove’s directorial relish for sweaty melodrama, which the cast delivers with gusto, flames burn cold in 'The Damned.' I mean cold enough to keep you shivering from beginning to end...The political attitudes of the characters, embodied with unnerving intensity and discipline by the cast, cover a range of viewpoints...This rich and merciless production makes it clear that they are indeed damned for all eternity."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
July 18th, 2018

“Methodically terrifying...Despite the magnetic pull of that screen, the production is at its most visceral when its merciless images play out in the bodies of its actors...There’s no petty attempt at audience-shaming, no finger wagging or spurious call to action. Instead, van Hove and his undaunted ensemble simply require that we look, long and hard, without blinking. Here we are, their story tells us. Again."
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New York Daily News
July 18th, 2018

“Intriguing but enervating...While it’s easy to admire the ambition of ‘The Damned’, it’s difficult to hail it a complete success. The material is enigmatic to begin with and the adaptation can be confusing...Despite all of the violence, perversity and screaming, the show’s emotional wallop is surprisingly muted. Instead of sending shivers and unsettling, the show numbs...Still, the involvement of Comédie-Française...and van Hove makes this a must for theater lovers."
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The Hollywood Reporter
July 19th, 2018

"It's a powerful, unfortunately timely tale whose impact should be momentous. Instead, the Comedie-Francaise production directed by acclaimed avant-garde director Ivo van Hove diffuses the story's emotional impact by relentlessly calling attention to its cleverness. The most obvious example of the production's self-consciousness is its extensive emphasis on video projections, a theatrical device that, even as it has vastly improved technologically, has by now become a shopworn cliche."
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The Observer
July 19th, 2018

"Greed, sex addiction, blackmail and craven excuses for Nazis…nope, no relevance to see here!...Neither the screenplay nor van Hove’s chic, mediated staging deepen our understanding of why Martin is so maladjusted...As usual, the design is impeccable, and you leave with images seared into memory...To me, respect and faint exasperation are perfectly sane dual responses to this polished global brand."
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AM New York
July 18th, 2018

“While I have consistently found van Hove’s aesthetic to be overblown, overindulgent, pretentious and bewildering, others have praised it as visionary, freethinking and electrifying. Those who like his work (or have yet to make up their minds) can check out his latest production...Eerie background music accompanies a lot of disturbing imagery...After the first 10 minutes, one can sense the audience divide into those who love it and those who hate it...Which side will you be on?”
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Theatermania
July 18th, 2018

"Breathtaking...The story churns forward with the brutal efficiency of an assembly line under Van Hove's unrelenting direction...The performances are crucial in selling Van Hove's most arresting moments, and this cast wholeheartedly rises to the task...Van Hove has staged a nightmare from the darkest recesses of humanity about the obscene madness that can result from so-called rational self-interest."
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Lighting & Sound America
July 20th, 2018

"van Hove remakes ‘The Damned’ as a cunningly constructed endgame in which the ruthless pursuit of power inevitably ends in a pile of ashes...The staging is so sleek as to occasionally be confusing; if you haven't seen the film...An epic portrait of moral collapse...The uniformly excellent cast invests these dark and morally bankrupt doings with a reality that makes them impossible to dismiss. "
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