Adolf by Pip Utton
Directed by Guy Masterson
 The Führer's
bunker, Berlin 1945, the air is thick with betrayal as Hitler awaits the
inevitable collapse of Berlin.
The 20th Century’s
most notorious tyrant is daringly and divisively brought to the stage in one of
the most successful and powerful solo works ever presented. Pip Utton, looking
uncomfortably like the Fuhrer, stands before a huge Nazi banner addressing his
party faithful. He
furnishes his audience with an acute anatomy of fascism; its ideological
justifications; its poisoned utopias. They are in the presence of an utterly
compelling idealist, and are helplessly drawn in to his warped logic.
Hitler's
final performance seems over as he settles into pre-suicidal contemplation. We
know the rest... But Utton has reserved a sting for his tale... A sting so
powerful that it pushes the audience into looking within themselves to question
their own prejudices and intolerance.
This is live
theatre at its best with a theme and subject that touches us all. It is
powerful, challenging and divisive, illustrative and educational. It is utterly
provocative and totally necessary. Everyone should experience it.
International touring includes India, Eire, Hong Kong, Holland, Belgium,
Germany, Estonia, Eire, New Zealand and Australia.
(80 mins, 1
on the road domestically 2 internationally, strong language, workshops available)
Pip's Note
I was never an angry young man, I was a young Conservative. In the flower
powered era of the 60’s my only rebellions were to smoke a pipe and like opera!
But now I’m an angry middle-aged man. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not
just a grumpy old git bemoaning how out of place I’ve become in today’s world; a
world that will never ever be as polite, calm and respectful as it was in those
golden days not so long ago. I know those golden days never existed. And I’m
angry that today’s world seems to have learnt so little from the mistakes of
yesterday’s world. Not only have we not learned from them we seem intent on
repeating them!
I think it was Tony Benn who said "All we learn from history is that we don’t
learn from history."
The rise of Adolf Hitler and his crusade of evil provides us with the clearest
example of how people’s prejudices and fears can be exploited; it illustrates
how intolerances can be exploited and manipulated to devastating effect.
It would be too easy to illustrate how little ‘Hitlers’ have sprung up all over
today’s world, how the phrase ‘ethnic cleansing’ has become an almost sanitised
everyday news item from somewhere in the world we couldn’t pinpoint on a map.
And most of the time, unless there appears to be some financial benefit in the
future - oil, minerals, gas - our governments do little to challenge them.
What is as disturbing is how we hear little ‘Hitlers’ all around us, everyday.
Niggling away about immigrants and the unemployed, exploiting any imagined
threat to our privileged way of life. And most of the time most of us (I include myself) say nothing to challenge
them.
Writing and performing Adolf was and is my small very inadequate way of saying
something, of setting out a warning to beware the little Hitler inside all of
us; and to suspect the motives of those massaging our intolerances.
The play is not an easy ride for the audience. It was never intended to be.
Reviews
***** The Scotsman 12/08/98
"Terrifying, searing, transfixing... It is quite impossible
to be anything other than totally absorbed by Utton's performance. Adolf
reaffirms the need and worth of political theatre."
BBC Radio 4 Kaleidoscope
17/08/98
"If you only
see one show on the Fringe, see Adolf"
***** The List 19/08/99
"Utton
breathes life into Hitler, realising the threat of fascism anew. This is
atmospheric, emotional stuff... and a cautionary tale to boot. It caresses its
way into your confidence and then chokes you on your own laughter."
The Stage
"The sting is
in the tail. Hitler is alive in nineties Britain... an ever present
malignancy... Unashamedly theatre with a message, with a vengeance... A tour de
force."
The Herald
"Utton's
superb performance makes the Führer tangible yet terrifying. This is an
extremely clever warning. Truly powerful theatre."
*****EdinburghGuide.com
2007
"One of the most successful solo shows of the last decade..... In humanising a
monster Pip Utton has created a piece of mind-bending theatre."
*****The British Theatre Guide
2007
"It is not often that an actor manages so
brilliantly to blur the boundaries between staged performance and reality. Pip
Utton can successfully do so.... Utton's Adolf should travel ... into every High
School and be used as an important text in serious political, historical and
social debates."
****One4review.com 2007 "A must see show."
"One of the most brilliant plays of this generation" – Fine Print India
"Utton makes the oratory sing." - The Daily Express
"Dangerously persuasive. Chilling" - Hong Kong Morning Post
"Searing performance" – The Hindu
"grabs you completely by the balls."– Lifestyle Singapore
"Uttons perfect imitation of Hitler’s mannerisms and style could have
even fooled a Nazi soldier" - The Flying Inkpot -Singapore
"audacity and brilliant creativity" – The Times of India
"Extremely dangerous, masterly" – De Volkskrant (The Netherlands)
"A terrifying mimicry" – die Tageszeitung (Berlin)
"Through his scintillating show Pip Utton turns Adolf into
enchanting, engaging mono-play providing for crackling theatrical
experience, powerful, evocative and simply non-pareil." – Deccan Herald – Bangalore, India
"Combining theatrics, audacity and brilliant creativity," Bangalore News – India
"Great for all audiences, this is live theater at its best -
powerful, dramatic, challenging, divisive, illustrative and educational.
It is utterly provocative and totally necessary." – Fullhyd Hydrabad India
"This performance is unmissable; it is the definitive performance
about the two most powerful icons of the 20th century, the Swastika and
Adolf Hitler. "Wispr – The Netherlands
Technical Specification
Click here for Adolf Tech Spec
Promotional Material
Click here for general Promo;
or these links for Adolf video clips,
photos and
brochure text
Please contact me,
Pip to discuss
performances, copies of the script or performing rights.
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