Swing Heil!

Hamburg, July 1943. At the height of the allied bombing raids a group of teenagers living under Nazi rule defies the regime by dancing to banned jazz music in a secret underground bunker. Their free-spirited leader is Max, the son of a senior Nazi offical but dedicated only to enjoying himself as much as the war allows. His friend Eva tries to convince him and the rest of the group to stand up to the Nazis more actively, without success. But when dangerous political pamphlets start to circulate and an American airman is shot down, the Swing Kids need to decide just what it means to be free…

Summer 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hamburg by the allies in WWII. As the city burned, with the loss of 40,000 lives, some clung on to the memory of a time when jazz music filled the dancehalls. This new musical by Alex Thomas (Ivor and I, The Bluestocking, 1917) follows the story of seven teenagers who are suddenly confronted with the realities of war and repression. Seventy minutes of gripping action, high-octane dancing and an original jazz-influenced score mean this is a show not to miss! Performed by a cast of young actors this production is previewing at OFS for two performances only.