Review: THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI, starring Mark Gatiss

A corrupt lot steeped in scandal puppeteers the economy. Unreasonable taxes are plaguing the people. Violence is rampant. All the while, a megalomaniac is gaining more traction by the day. Did we turn on the news, or are we watching Bertolt Brecht’s merciless satire? Seán Linnen transforms the allegorical German classic into a riotous, electric, exciting romp with music by Placebo.

Translated by Stephen Sharkey, it follows a fictional mobster who, appealing to the masses, reaches enormous power in 1930s Chicago. Brecht wrote the play as a response to Hitler’s ascent to dictatorship, specifically including direct references and relevant information about the timeline. Now more than ever, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is both a parable and a warning.

This utterly thrilling, taunting, tickling production sees an astonishing central performance by Mark Gatiss in the title role. He is ghostly, sleazy, as he haunts his victims with no need to utter a word to get his point across. A long side fringe grazes his right cheek while an unmistakably Hitlerian toothbrush moustache rides his upper lip. Harsh makeup sculpts his cheeks and hollows his eyes, making him even more threatening as he looks up from his eyebrows and bares his false teeth menacingly. “When I walk into a room, I want everyone to notice me” he declares. And we do.

His delivery is farcical enough to make him real. Bits and pieces of Chaplin’s Dictator blend with soft Trumpian echoes – the parallels are natural, but never obvious. Reality blurs as Linnen sets the stage for many meta-theatrical moments. He makes the public complicit, denouncing their inaction regularly as Gatiss stands ominously, his minions blindly carrying out his bidding. As his personal plot develops, screens refer back to Hitler’s own exploits, contextualising and severing the vacuum of the fourth wall.

A sublime company joins Gatiss. Mawaan Rizwan, who makes a stunning RSC debut, is the unquestionable highlight of the show. He’s spirited, ruthless, disquieting, and strikingly Kubrickian as Giri, one of Ui’s best henchmen. Other remarkable portrayals include Janie Dee in a handful of roles, always delivered with sophisticated aplomb, and Christopher Godwin as the honourable and honest Dogsborough.

The ensemble supports as a cohesive unit. They swing between guffawing and snickering Nazi-inspired figures and depleted workers, breaking into physical segments that boost the action. Movement director Jennifer Jackson choreographs their bodies with deliberate precision to create expressive tableaux, shifting the scenes with smooth ease and focusing the visuals on the music.

Placebo may seem like a wild choice for such a heavy, political, and traditional type of venture, but they suit Linnen’s style. The band’s idiosyncratic rock sound elevates already extraordinary performances, punctuating transitions and emphasising pivotal sequences. The musical numbers sneak in more like a cinematic soundtrack than a theatrical accompaniment, exploding into very cool, sudden rockstar interludes.

As Ui’s – and therefore Hitler’s – influence grows, Linnen’s vision slips out of its fictional bounds. Real guns abruptly replace the ears of corn and stalks of Brussel sprouts that were being used as weaponry, while the colour coding of the costumes (Georgia Lowe, also at the set design) becomes less ambiguous. The illusion of freedom is shattered, and Ui completes his transformation. Linnen doubles down on Brecht’s final admonishment and has his actors plead with the audience to pay attention to what’s going on.

Brecht reminds us that “The bitch is in heat again” as we go back with dread to the daily manoeuvres of our heads of government. This project doesn’t only have exquisite production value across the board, it hits the nail on the head with unfortunate relevance. It’s essential viewing.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui runs at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 30 May.