The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Royal & Derngate. Northampton.
A play originally written about Hitler’s ascent to power is so irrelevant now… and people need to open their eyes.
In this production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, directed by Anna Simpson, audiences are taken on a tense journey, following small-time crook Arturo Ui as he starts making a big name for himself, capitalising on the city’s fears. It is performed by the Royal & Derngate Young Company, which consists of an ensemble of excellent young actors aged just 16-21 years old.
From the moment my friend and I step into the auditorium, we are already immersed in the performance, with actors walking around with guns and drinks, and a woman (Xanthe Barker) lip-syncing on stage to old-style jazz versions of modern songs. We sit down and notice a lot of the actors interacting with the audience directly, and we look at each other with a nervous expression, hoping we don’t get picked on like we’re in a comedy show. But the interactivity doesn’t just stop at the pre-show performance. Throughout the production, there are sequences in which the actors involve the audience. I won’t spoil what they do exactly, but you can trust me when I say that you will be in for a cracking time, and I feel that’s what made the show so amazing!
Finley Sibbald, the young man who plays Arturo Ui, gives an outstanding performance, with a raging anger that can easily shift to a persuasive, condescending tone. In every scene he appears in, he never lacks energy and constantly goes at it with full force. And I must say, his mocking impression of a certain famously orange politician throughout the night makes the audience cackle every time. I would also like to credit Anne Collins, who plays Betty Dullfleet, for wonderfully portraying a mixture of sadness and anger towards Arturo Ui.
Whilst being a play of death and politics, the show does not hold back from its comedic amusement. It has slapstick, dancing, snappy lines and a whole lot of satire. Xanthe Barker, who plays Dockdaisy, takes on the comedy fabulously, with her amazing portrayal of a young ditsy woman. There is one specific scene involving her and a fake baby which has the audience laughing their heads off.
The set design, by Lauren Connolly, is remarkable in establishing an eerie 1930s Chicago. As the curtains open, the audience collectively goes “ooo” as the city looms over everybody, immediately setting the tone before a single line is spoken. The use of levels within the set successfully allows actors to create an image of power vs powerless. Likewise, the lighting design, by Charlie Powell, is fantastic with its use of flashing gunshots and unsettling spotlights on Arturo Ui.
Whilst the playwright, Bertolt Brecht, originally wrote this piece to reflect Hitler’s rise to power, this production takes on a scary angle through its reflection of far-right men in power, such as Donald Trump and Nigel Farage.
Brecht’s main message is that Hitler’s rise was ‘resistible’ – it could have been stopped if people acted sooner. The uncomfortable question the production leaves us with is whether we’ve learned anything at all.
Photography credit: Graeme Braidwood Photography
