In 1941, in the middle of the Second World War, the great German physicist Werner Heisenberg made a strange trip to Copenhagen to see his Danish colleague Niels Bohr. They were old friends and collaborators, and together in the 1920s they had begun to lay bare the mysteries at the heart of the atom. But now Denmark was under German occupation, the meeting was fraught with danger and embarrassment – and Heisenberg was burdened with a terrible secret.   

Why he went to Copenhagen and what he wanted to say to Bohr are questions which have exercised historians ever since. In Michael Frayn’s multi award-winning drama Heisenberg meets Bohr and his wife Margrethe once again to look for the answers, and to work out, just as they had once worked out the internal functioning of the atom, how we can ever know why we do what we do.

Michael Frayn is one of this country’s finest writers. Copenhagen premiered at the National Theatre in 1998, going on to the West End and Broadway and winning over 10 major international awards.

Michael Blakemore’s many collaborations with Michael Frayn include Democracy at the National Theatre and the original production of Copenhagen for which he won a Tony Award. Of his extensive London productions, 15 have earned Evening Standard or Olivier Awards. 

Charles Edwards returns to Chichester to play Heisenberg. His work ranges from Downton Abbey on television to Waste and the original cast of This House at the National Theatre. 

Patricia Hodge plays Margrethe. Her most recent Chichester appearance was Travels with My Aunt (2016); her extensive work includes Miranda and Downton Abbey on television, and Michael Frayn's Noises Off at the National Theatre.

Paul Jesson makes his Chichester debut as Bohr. His screen work includes Mr Turner and Spooks, while extensive theatre includes Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies (RSC). 

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Our programmes are designed to be the perfect insightful companion to the production. In this programme is an exclusive article written by playwright Michael Frayn about revisiting this play and a timeline of the development of the atomic bomb. In addition, this programme includes rehearsal photography, biographies, events and news from the Theatre.

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