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Actress Maggie Smith made a triumphant return to the stage to perform the role of 103-year-old Brunhilde Pomsel, secretary and stenographer to the Nazi-propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels - one of the worst war criminals of the 20th century. The playwright, Christopher Hampton, was inspired to write the play after seeing a powerful documentary about Brunhilde, made not long before she died.

In A German Life, the extraordinary story of an ordinary human being living through traumatic times raises profound questions about the moral choices and personal sacrifices that one is faced with when confronted by evil. Reflecting back on her life, Brunhilde Pomsel makes it clear that the dangers that led to the rise of fascism have not been overcome. ‘So I joined the party,’ she recalls. ‘Why shouldn’t I? Everyone was doing it.’