Hess

Hess is a two-hour, one-person show, written and acted by Burrell. The piece focuses on Rudolph Hess (1894-1987), Adolf Hitler’s chief deputy until 1941 when he flew to Scotland to try and negotiate peace with England and was arrested; and who later was convicted at Nuremberg for crimes against humanity and served a life sentence, until his suicide. In Burrell’s representation Hess is vain, comical, malevolent, and pathetic as he describes his time as Hitler’s chief deputy and is also unrepentant as he argues that western history (including actions by the United States) reflect empathy with the ideals of the Third Reich.