Berlin

by Joanna Murray-Smith

A spine-tingling romantic thriller.

Charlotte is a Berliner through and through. Tom is a foreigner, travelling around Europe. After meeting in a bar, sparks fly between them and she invites him to spend the night at her place. As they navigate the ritual of seduction, their desire gives way to secrets that cannot be ignored and questions neither of them can answer. Does young love stand a chance against the suffocating reach of the past?

Joanna Murray-Smith is one of Australia’s most celebrated playwrights, captivating audiences from Melbourne to Broadway and the West End. This riveting NEXT STAGE commission premiered for Melbourne Theatre Company as part of its 2021 season. A powerful mix of thriller, romance and ethical dilemma, Berlin will keep you guessing until the very end.

Genres: Plays, Read For School, School

62 pages, Paperback

Published April 16, 2021

About the author

Australian playwright.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Alice Berry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read in like 15 mins. It’s a school book.
It was good but honestly I was so lost at the end

[Aster June · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst thing I’ve ever read. Wish I could rate 0 stars

[CKB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to read it before seeing the play tonight.

[Sally Vuong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ye its alr

[erikahope♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️

Read this for Literature, and I actually loved it.
Didn’t think a play would make me feel emotional.

Anyway, still in a reading slump. (I think)

This was fairly short, so I wasn’t bored! (Not that I have a choice to stop reading- like I said- for school haha)

Some quotes:

“…contrary to reputation, we’re all ruthless ambition and schadenfreude.”

“Charlotte: Well … Love is an act of hope.
Tom: Is it?
Charlotte: Two people agree to hope against the odds.”

“Innocence is something you only ever have once.”

“We try to fix our past. Consciously or unconsciously. Over and over again. Attempting to rewrite history.”

“That I met a girl in a bar who ended up being my lodestar, who destroyed my autonomy, unravelled my intentions and made time start again.”

“You are … my stolpersteine.”


I’d genuinely read this again :)

[Aspen's_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never really read a whole play before (except the crucible, but that was partially in class and partially watching it), so take my opinions with a grain of salt (I say this like this is going to be a long review, which it is not).

I really enjoyed it. The tension and banter was excellent, and though short, it was surprisingly insightful.

The ending was quite open, which I didn't mind.

11/12 but I may lower the rating after I fully "digest" it

[aj · Rating 4 out of 5]

tom hate train.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

IDK really, definitely better than Bombshells but confusingly intense at times. It was a play and a play it was. I don't have much to say on the quality of it because it was quite short and heightened at times with an open ending that left the audience wondering. Not the best book I've ever read but not the worst, glad it was a quick read because I don't know how much more I could handle of their flirty banter that turned into trauma dumping. Both of them desperately need therapy to work out their issues, childhood trauma and intergenerational trauma so I don't have to keep hearing about it.

[MBC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing Berlin with Claire next week. Glad I read ahead. Not entirely what I expected. Generational trauma, guilt, identity, nationalism, the cultural imagination, the jewish diaspora. Kept me on my toes. Not a five because I selfishly wanted more struggle, more tension; the more guttural lust than comes with loathing.

(Charlotte being reluctant to recite a poem) “It’s too… I can’t do that. It would be like… licking your body. It would be like… sleeping curled up inside you. It would be like… sharing a peach.”

[Eve Jessica Langley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read it for school. I think because I read it instead of watching it I misinterpreted the whole car accident dead brother thing. Anyways, did she stab him or not? And he literally said exactly what he did at the beginning like multiple times, I was shocked when I realised. And for being a thing to read for school there is quite a lot of sexual stuff going on.

[Cj Koutras · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was such a beautiful profound play, very philosophical created riveting thoughts and existential questioning. The talks of grief and innocence and loss was very captivating as someone who has lost a brother. I felt very seen.


Didn’t expect to be so wrapped up within the story, but it did make me emotional

Brilliant witty dialogue and witty commentary

[Riley C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Berlin! It went in a direction I would never have guessed in a way I wouldn’t have guessed either. It is an interesting piece of theatre but also has contemporary relevance by asking how long we sit doing moral calculus before something may be put to bed (that is - if it is even allowed to be). Thought-provoking and entertaining.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll be honest—I didn’t fully understand the plot of Berlin, especially towards the end. That said, I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two characters. Their relationship was engaging and kept me interested even when the story felt confusing.

[Rossleigh Brisbane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d love to see this performed now

Always hard to completely picture a play from a reading but this one had wit and great dialogue as well as a serious theme.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

i actually liked this way more than i thought

[Sienna Scarpa · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a school text it was actually intriguing?

[lily♡︎]

read for school! > so no rating!! but it was actually super thought provoking?!!??

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some crackling dialogue at times but felt very contrived, especially with the twist.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS PLAY IS MY ROMAN EMPIRE

[Ella Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amount of times I have read this is actually nuts.

[kie-dizzle · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really liked this play!! such an easy read with an engaging storyline and amazing twist!!

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This play was definitely a fun time. Stressful in the second half, but fun. I so totally did not expect that ending. This will be fun to analyse for school.

[hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

3:5

[Rhys Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom was right.

[Elke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[luca sardelis]

Sexy mid-twenties, political two hander. A German and a Jew walk into a bar but literally.

[atty · Rating 3 out of 5]

wouldve been better if it was a book

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It should have been longer

[keely (taylor’s version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really liked this play!! such an easy read with an engaging storyline and amazing twist!!