In an era marked by political turbulence, Bertolt Brecht’s seminal work, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, has found renewed and unsettling relevance. The play, which savagely satirizes Adolf Hitler’s ascent to power, returns to the stage with actor Mark Gatiss in the starring role and new music composed by the acclaimed alt-rock band, Placebo. The creators emphasize that their aim isn’t merely to address those already in agreement but to provoke wider reflection.
The play’s enduring pertinence is underscored by recent political discourse. For instance, when former Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi defected to the Reform party, he chillingly described the UK as “diseased,” declaring, “Our wonderful country is sick. Britain needs Nigel Farage.” Similarly, at a far-right gathering last year, Elon Musk warned supporters, “Violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.” These statements bear a striking, almost verbatim, resemblance to the rhetoric employed in Brecht’s 1941 satire. Hitler himself frequently depicted Germany as unwell, endangered, and in urgent need of decisive protection.
During rehearsals for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s forthcoming production of Arturo Ui, the cast has been deeply engaged in examining these uncanny parallels between Brecht’s dark comedic melodrama and contemporary events unfolding in Britain and across the United States. Mark Gatiss, portraying Arturo Ui, notes the disturbing continuity: “It’s the same rhetoric. You just give it 80 years. The second world war generation has died out, so it’s fertile ground again. The same bullshit works. It’s really frightening.” This resurgence of familiar, divisive language highlights the enduring power and terrifying prescience of Brecht’s warning from history.