Scotch College

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

The talents of both Scotch boys and PLC girls were on full display in the recent senior production of Brecht's political satire and parable about the rise of Hitler and Nazism. In what was a challenging, but most successful portrayal of a poor unfortunate 'son of simple people from the Bronx', a cast of 35 senior students were able to blend a potent mix of humour, menace and music together in an engaging and entertaining two hours of political theatre at its very best and most powerful.

After four steady months of rehearsal, the production moved to the Renaissance Theatre in Kew in its final week, joined by a company of set, lighting, sound, costume, make-up and front-of-house crews. As each of these elements came together it was clear that the production would reach the level of expectation of all concerned and when the band struck its first chord, the scene was set for a journey into 1920 Chicago. The music proved to be a most important and dynamic addition to the original script and the wry and cynical tones of the songs of Marlene Dietrich were wonderfully executed by the female members of the cast, proving to be a real highlight of the show itself.

There were many acting highlights also and for some it was a real test of stamina. None more so that Arturo Ui himself, played most intelligently by Dougal Beatty, Vice Captain of Drama. He was ably supported by David Henning (Captain of Drama) in the role of Old Dogsborough, as well as that of Richard Waterson, Ashleigh Gazal, Dimity Paul and Chris Anderson. It is, however, a play with a strong ensemble cast as many move from one character to another in true Brechtian style, and they are all to be complimented for an extremely polished and focused performance. Never has a show been hit so badly by illness as the flu epidemic took hold, and as one cast member was been driven home unable to take the stage part way through the second performance, the cast remained true to the adage, 'that the show must go on'. And so it did, over three impressive nights. What struck me most about this production was how the show continued to grow with every run as the actors themselves found new ways in which to give full meaning to the text as Brecht himself intended it.

This collaboration between Scotch College and Presbyterian Ladies College has proven to be a most successful one indeed. 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' provided a wonderful vehicle for the combined talents of both schools, their students and support staff and it has been a great pleasure to be associated with it.

David Mustafa
Staff