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Read
an interview with Julian Glover
Written
by award-winning author and playwright, Ronald Harwood, Taking Sides
is based on the true story of conductor Willhelm Furtwangler's interrogation
as a Nazi sympathiser after the war; a huge hit in the West End
and on Broadway, the story has recently been made into a film starring
Harvey Keitel.
Set
in Occupied Berlin just after the war, the swaggering interrogator
at the De-Nazification trial is Major Steve Arnold, a former insurance
fraud investigator who knows nothing about the arts but who is determined
to nail the conductor.
To
all but Arnold, Furtwangler mounts a persuasive defence case. But
there are no easy answers…
Willhelm
Furtwangler was one of the outstanding orchestral conductors of
his generation and Hitler's personal favourite, leading the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra throughout the Nazi era.
The
focus of this gripping play is the accusations by the De-Nazification
Tribunal at the end of World War II in Occupied Berlin.
Furtwangler
astonished many of his colleagues by choosing to remain in Germany
throughout the war, whilst many of his peers went into exile.
But
does that make him a Nazi sympathiser? Did he have a choice when
public disrespect for the regime was the equivalent of a death warrant?
Little
is known of the group who carried out this interrogation; what is
known is that Furtwangler was humiliated, pursued and, even after
his acquittal, misinformation followed him.
One
of the most spectacular and renowned conductors of the 1930s, Willhelm
Furtwangler's reputation rivalled that of Toscanini's.
Never
a member of the National Socialist German Worker's Party, he avoided
lending any public support to Hitler's regime and reportedly helped
many Jewish musicians.
Neil
Pearson
Neil
Pearson stars as Major Steve Arnold, an American working for the
De-Nazification Tribunal who is determined to uncover the truth.
His
recent credits include Benefactors, Closer and Mind Millie for Me,
all in West End; and The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, which appeared
at the Theatre Royal Bath in November 2001; and previously in Bath
in Emily Needs Attention by Georges Feydeau in April 1996.
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| Neil
Pearson is Trevor Heslop, sports agent to the stars, in the
Andy Hamilton comedy for BBC ONE - Trevor's World of Sport |
He
appeared in the films Bridget Jones' Diary and Fever Pitch, and
is a familiar face on our television screens, starring, most recently,
in Trevor's World of Sport and The Booze Cruise, as well as his
well-known roles in Drop the Dead Donkey and Between The Lines.
Neil
also played the role of John Diamond in A Lump in my Throat and
starred in BBC TV's four-part adaptation of William Boyd's novel,
Armadillo.
Julian
Glover
He
stars as the brilliant, orchestral conductor, Willhelm Furtwangler.
Julian
Glover's classical theatre credits include King Lear and his many
leading roles for the RSC include an Olivier award-winning Henry
IV.
West
End productions include Waiting for Godo and Macbeth. His film work
includes Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets, in which he plays
Aragog, the spider; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back; and For Your Eyes Only.
Julian
Glover has appeared at the Theatre Royal Bath on several occasions
including In Praise of Love in February 2001; Never The Sinner in
March 1990; and Habeas Corpus in May 1988.
Ronald
Harwood
Ronald
Harwood, won an Oscar for his recent screenplay, The Pianist about
a Polish Jew's survival during World War II.
He
is also the author of the award-winning play The Dresser, nominated
for five Oscars including Best Screenplay; and the screenplays for
The Browning Version; Mandela; and Cry, The Beloved Country.
He
was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1934.
Taking
Sides also includes Ruth Grey as Emmi Straube, John McEnery as Helmuth
Rode, Tanya Ronder as Tamara Sachs and Tom Harper as Lieutenant
David Wills.
>>>
Taking Sides runs from Tuesday 21 October to Saturday 25 October
at The Theatre
Royal Bath prior to a UK tour
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