This play isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – as five of my usual theatre buddies declined an invite, and they weren’t all ill. But the reviews had indicated that Henry Goodman’s performance was remarkable and so I went along.
I guess you can watch the play on two levels. Superficially, it’s about a small time gangster in the depression-torn 1930s Chicago who , driven by a massive chip on his shoulder and a need for respect and power, bribes corrupt City officials into supporting his protection racket (of greengrocers). There’s smoking, guns and gangs. The farce is full of comic turns and easy laughs.
The deeper level is that the play is an allegory of Hitler’s rise to power. Supposedly, all the characters and events are based on real life occurrences. The insecurities and insanity drives Hitler to destroy those in his path and take lessons from an early spin doctor to polish his persuasive orations. The frequent references to Shakespeare (including guilt-inducing ghosts) will appeal to the more literary minded.
The music (fabulous female saxophonist), staging (central ramp) and costumes (love those baggy suits) are all excellent. And it’s generally a strong cast who do well with the Italian-American accents. And Henry Goodman absolutely deserves those rave reviews – it is a tour de force as he transforms from a nervous, hunched and comical crook into a terrifying, power-crazed dictator. It’s a horror version of Eliza Doolittle.
The play was written by German Bertolt Brecht while exiled in Finland during 1941 for the US stage. This production uses a translation by George Tabori and revised by Alistair Beaton. It’s long – starting at 730pm and finishing just after 1030pm. But it leaves you thinking about that serious final line: “For though the world has stood up and stopped the bastard, the bitch that bore him is in heat again”.
http://www.duchesstheatre.co.uk/The-Resistible-Rise-of-Arturo-Ui.html
