When Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Brecht made the decision to flee his home country with his young family, rather than stay and be victimised for his political beliefs. It proved a shrewd move, as the Nazi party fed the fears and injustices felt by the population, marching them towards World War II and the Final Solution. Read more …
Written when Brecht was a refugee in Finland, The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui charts Hitler’s rise to power as a parable play. Arturo Ui is a wannabe gangster in 1930s Chicago, very firmly in Al Capone’s shadow. But with a bit of muscle from his companions and a few “acting” lessons, a man can run any town. And maybe the town next to that.
Dundee Rep Ensemble take on this funny, gutsy, enlivening play, first produced 60 years ago by the Berliner Ensemble. Brecht fled to the USA because it offered sanctuary from fascist Europe. The final play in our Stars and Stripes Season asks us, in 2017, to spot the signs of hate and encourages us to resist.
A satirical, musical-comedy, touring to Community Centres, Village Halls and the Dundee Rep stage in June.
The action is up close and personal, and director Joe Douglas draws the best from his nine-strong ensemble.
The company brings this great parable to a chilling but rousing conclusion, leaving us determined to fight to the end against those leaders who demand our submission when they should be seeking our consent.
Within this rough-and-ready atmosphere, and despite the play’s messy structure, the production values are high.
Alistair Beaton's revision of George Tabori's translation remains a breezily prescient satire.
The consistent boldness of performance (not least by O’Sullivan as the increasingly fascistic Ui) exemplifies Brecht’s remarkable capacity to combine entertainment with uncompromising political commitment.
On Tour, from Wednesday May 31, 2017, until Saturday June 17, 2017.
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