THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI
Year 10 ’ s slick and coordinated take on Brecht ’ s satirical allegory
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui , by Bertolt Brecht , follows a 1930s Chicago mobster ’ s attempts to control the cauliflower racket . It is a satirical take on Hitler ’ s rise to power in Germany before the Second World War . Year 10 performed the play as an ensemble piece , directed by Mr Henry . The Brechtian distancing technique of multi-roling was used in this production as James Ellershaw and Georgie Williams both played Arturo Ui .
In the first act , Georgie Williams took on the difficult role of depicting Hitler at the start of his rise to power , before his well-known traits become apparent later in the play . She took on this part with great confidence and did the most amazing job , engaging the audience throughout her performance . The second act opened with a powerful speech delivered by James Ellershaw . He presented a version of Arturo Ui that had not been explored previously in the play ; this was representing the side of Hitler the audience was familiar with . James spoke with a clearly articulated voice which reverberated through the theatre . The strength in his tone was maintained for the duration of the second act .
The Year 10 cast ’ s contribution made the play a huge success . The entire ensemble worked hard , with impressive discipline and coordination , bringing humour and menace to their portrayal of a society that enabled the rise of a Hitler . It felt chillingly relevant today .
44 DRAMA REVIEW