The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

With only one line changed and cuts implemented to tighten the script, director David Farr and Lucian Msamati, take Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and places it in the middle of Africa with characters eerily reflecting the dictators we know reside there today. Their adaptation, without actually changing the words, felt at home in that setting. At times the language was unexpected and challenging but still the audience stayed with them throughout and found the humour that was spattered throughout.
Though the set wasn’t that provocative or daring, I have a soft spot for racked stages and sand floors so was excited to see this production had just that. Across that floor, the actors danced to the pre-show music as the audience shuffled in and there we felt part of their joy and community. As soon as the play began however, that harmony was broken and in the midst of the chaos came Arturo Ui played by Lucian Msamati, who relays that he is the main force driving it.
Msamati’s Ui was a jingly, jangly sort with nervous twitches and prancing trying to fight its way out. Even though I cognitively understood that this was his characterization of Ui, it felt forced as if Msamati wasn’t sure what to do with his body. On the other hand, as the seriousness of Ui’s position grew, so did his stillness. It was moments such as the speech from Julius Caesar near the end of act one, that his majesty came through and I was left with those “my god he’s good” shivers.
The rest of the cast mainly did well in matching Msamati’s energy and drive and though sometimes a bit clunky in transition, switched from character to character with relative ease. The first half could have had more depth in the staging as it felt flat which wasn’t helped by it being also heavy in plot and exposition. The second half was far better as the actors settled into the space and stopped chomping at the bit, as it felt like they did in the first half. A particular poignant moment was the betrayal of Roma played by Ariyon Bakare. Not only did he play the scene superbly but the lighting and staging hit the nail on the head. I think if the production was constructed in the same vein of that scene, the Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui would have been irresistible.