An atomic bomb doesn't just fall; someone has to drop it.

The Mistake by Michael Mears, at The Bear Pit, Stratford for one night only, now on a UK tour.

Review by Ann Evans.

Like most people, I knew the basic story of Hiroshima and the atomic bomb dropped on the city in 1945. The Mistake, performed at The Bear Pit, Stratford and now embarking on a 28 venue-tour all around the UK, takes you right into the heart of this monumental moment in history, through the eyes, words and emotions of people who were there.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to interview the man behind The Mistake – writer and actor Michael Mears, who told me why he had been compelled to create this play, you can read this here: (https://www.elementarywhatson.com/single-post/the-story-behind-the-mistake) And now after watching the play, I can only say it is a performance that everyone – of all ages should try and see, and get a greater understanding of this catastrophic event at the end of World War II.

Michael Mears as the bomber pilot Colonel Paul Tibbet. Photo © Simon Richardson.

The Mistake tells the story of Hiroshima through the eyes of a 21-year-old survivor of the blast, Nomura Shigeko – partly using verbatim testimony taken from her diary and words from Keiki Nakazama and others; seeing the city before, during and after the bomb was dropped, witnessing Nomura's heartbreaking search through the devastated city for her parents. We also meet the scientists behind the creation of nuclear power, in particular a brilliant Hungarian-Jewish scientist, Leo Szilard who conceived the nuclear chain reaction that resulted in the atom bomb being made. And through the eyes of American pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets Jnr who flew the B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay that dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima.

Riko Nakazono as blast survivor finding what was left of her mother, and Michael Mears as her fiancé. Photo © Simon Richardson.

There are just two actors in the play, Michael Mears who seamlessly takes on around 15 characters including Albert Einstein, President Roosevelt and Robert Oppenheimer; and Japanese actor, Riko Nakazono who plays the young survivor Nomura Shigeko, and other roles. The play very cleverly covers different time periods – from around six years earlier, when Leo Szilard and other scientists were so excited at their new discoveries, to Hiroshima before the bomb – showing the beauty of the city, the joy of Nomura in her simple life with her parents, her work and her happiness of just receiving a letter from her fiancé. Then into the life of American pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets Jnr, practicing how to bank his plane after dropping the atom bomb, to safely escape the blast himself.

Michael Mears as scientist Leo Szilard. Photo © Simon Richardson.

We experience him flying the Enola Gay towards Hiroshima and how clear the skies were so he could see the target so well. Below, Nomura is reading her letter, her mother is about the visit her father in hospital, children are playing... Michael Mears takes us through these last few moments in a breathtaking second-by-second countdown. Then, effortless it seems, we switch to a different moment in time, a different mood, only to come back to this point in time later.

The play is excellently directed by Rosamunde Hutt and the acting of these two people is superb – the instant changes in their emotions and voices is perfection, and it’s not surprising that since this play was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival last year it has already won a number of awards. I am sure there are more to come.

The stage is set with the simplest of sets and props which are incredibly evocative – set design is by Mark Friend and the entire 80 minutes are fast, exciting and dramatic – and always crystal clear regarding where we are in time and place. Not even a small hitch behind the scenes when the soundtrack failed for a few minutes threw Mears and Nakazono – they dealt with the situation like the true professionals they are.

An incredible play - educational, brilliantly written, directed and acted - and very different from anything I've seen before. I would heartily recommend anyone to go and see this if they get the opportunity.

The Mistake now embarks on a 28 venue tour, the full listing of dates and places is on Michael Mears website: https://michaelmears.org/tour-dates-for-the-mistake/

* The title given to this article 'An atomic bomb doesn't just fall; someone has to drop it.' was a comment by an 80-year-old woman from Mitaki township, Hiroshima who lost her husband in the flash of the bomb.

Don’t miss out on any of the amazing productions coming to The Bear Pit, visit: https://www.thebearpit.org.uk/