Taking Sides

Taking Sides

Taking Sides - Duchess Theatre

Taking Sides is one of two productions to be landing at the Duchess Theatre this May that look at composers in the Second World War. In Taking Sides, the composer takes the form of Wilhelm Furtwängler, who was a conductor for the Berlin Philharmonic when the Third Reich was in full momentum. This will be a moving drama that has already been seen in previous productions as well as a movie version that starred the acclaimed American actor Harvey Keitel.

Taking Sides looks at the way in which the world of art and politics collided at a time of great hardship, asking us to consider whether the actions of an artist can be grouped into the same as the actions of politicians.

Wilhelm Furtwängler, as conductor for the Berlin Philharmonic during the Third Reich, came to be highly popular with Adolf Hitler. Taking Sides takes us to Berlin 1946. The war is over and the horrors of Hitler’s plans wiped out. However, with the Nazis defeated, investigations are the next part of the agenda and Furtwängler himself becomes a victim of these due to his strong links to the regime itself. Enter Major Steve Arnold, an American Army interrogator and the man at the top of these investigations. He has witnessed the horrors of the Belsen concentration camp and has little sympathy for art; instead he confronts Furtwängler with a string of vicious interrogations.

Taking Sides is the work of the acclaimed writer Ronald Harwood. He is an award winning playwright who has enjoyed a successful career with works such as Mahler’s Conversion, Quartet, The Dresser, After the Lions, Tramway Road, Interpreters and An English Tragedy. As well as his work for the stage, he has also provided the screenplays to some Oscar and BAFTA winning movies. These have taken the form of The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, The Pianist and the adaptation of his own work in The Dresser. His other films include Being Julia and Taking Sides.

This production will also present the acting talents of both Michael Pennington and David Horovitch. Pennington has had a long career that takes in both stage, film and television with his most recognisable role taking the form of Moff Jerjerrod in the movie Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. His other credits include much work for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the English Shakespeare Company (for which he is a founding member).

Taking Sides is at the Duchess Theatre, with previews starting from Wednesday 20th May 2009 and performances continuing until Saturday 22nd August 2009.