"Taking Sides"
Bottom Line: Vivid theatrical examinations of the clash between being an artist and doing the right thing.
LONDON -- British playwright Ronald Harwood's 1995 play "Taking
Sides" and his latest, "Collaboration," presented in tandem at the
Duchess Theatre in London's West End, each deal with people trapped
in the quagmire of Nazi Germany and challenge viewers to wonder,
"What would you have done?"
Both productions are directed with great skill by Philip Franks and
star the same accomplished players with Michael Pennington and
David Horovitch excellently portraying very different antagonists
from one play to the next.
The plays can be viewed separately but seeing the productions as a
double bill reinforces Harwood's trenchant examination of one the
tragedies of that time and the predicament into which artists in
particular were thrust.
"Taking Sides" takes place during the post-World War II
de-Nazification when German citizens were investigated regarding
their compromises and affiliations during Hitler's regime. An
abrasive U.S. officer, Major Arnold (Horovitch) is grilling famous
conductor Dr. Wilhelm Furtwangler (Pennington) about his time as
leader of the Berlin Philharmonic during the Third Reich.
Pennington conveys the conductor's anguish and crumpled dignity
while Horovitch helps Harwood heighten the dilemma by making the
interrogator vulgar and unlikable.
"Collaboration" deals with composer Richard Strauss (Pennington)
and his reaction to being told by Hitler's thugs that he can no
longer work with his great librettist, Stefan Zweig (Horovitch)
because he is Jewish.
The two leading actors almost change shape as well as character and
the play is enriched by fine contributions from Isla Blair as
Strauss' formidable wife and Martin Hutson as a Nazi officer.
Harwood, who won the Academy Award for writing "The Piano" in 2002
and the BAFTA for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" in 2007,
blends his gift for imagery with fine stagecraft. "Taking Sides"
and "Collaboration" offer no solutions to the moral dilemmas
examined, they do impart considerable wisdom.
Venue: Duchess Theatre, London (through Aug. 29)
Cast: Michael Pennington, David Horovitch, Sophie Roberts, Martin
Hutson, Pip Donaghy, Isla Blair, Melanie Jessop
Playwright: Ronald Harwood
Director: Philip Franks
Set designer: Simon Higlett
Lighting designer: Mark Jonathan
Sound designer: John Leonard
Taking Sides/Collaboration -- Theater Review
By Ray Bennett, June 30, 2009 08:05 ET
"Taking Sides"
Bottom Line: Vivid theatrical examinations of the clash between being an artist and doing the right thing.
LONDON -- British playwright Ronald Harwood's 1995 play "Taking Sides" and his latest, "Collaboration," presented in tandem at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End, each deal with people trapped in the quagmire of Nazi Germany and challenge viewers to wonder, "What would you have done?"
Both productions are directed with great skill by Philip Franks and star the same accomplished players with Michael Pennington and David Horovitch excellently portraying very different antagonists from one play to the next.
The plays can be viewed separately but seeing the productions as a double bill reinforces Harwood's trenchant examination of one the tragedies of that time and the predicament into which artists in particular were thrust.
"Taking Sides" takes place during the post-World War II de-Nazification when German citizens were investigated regarding their compromises and affiliations during Hitler's regime. An abrasive U.S. officer, Major Arnold (Horovitch) is grilling famous conductor Dr. Wilhelm Furtwangler (Pennington) about his time as leader of the Berlin Philharmonic during the Third Reich.
Pennington conveys the conductor's anguish and crumpled dignity while Horovitch helps Harwood heighten the dilemma by making the interrogator vulgar and unlikable.
"Collaboration" deals with composer Richard Strauss (Pennington) and his reaction to being told by Hitler's thugs that he can no longer work with his great librettist, Stefan Zweig (Horovitch) because he is Jewish.
The two leading actors almost change shape as well as character and the play is enriched by fine contributions from Isla Blair as Strauss' formidable wife and Martin Hutson as a Nazi officer.
Harwood, who won the Academy Award for writing "The Piano" in 2002 and the BAFTA for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" in 2007, blends his gift for imagery with fine stagecraft. "Taking Sides" and "Collaboration" offer no solutions to the moral dilemmas examined, they do impart considerable wisdom.
Venue: Duchess Theatre, London (through Aug. 29)
Cast: Michael Pennington, David Horovitch, Sophie Roberts, Martin Hutson, Pip Donaghy, Isla Blair, Melanie Jessop
Playwright: Ronald Harwood
Director: Philip Franks
Set designer: Simon Higlett
Lighting designer: Mark Jonathan
Sound designer: John Leonard
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