Published: Friday, 3rd October, 2008 10:00
Question time
Comments (0)
Print Article
Tough questions are asked of the audience in taking Sides, the tale of a controversial conductor in post-war Berlin. LUCY CROSSLEY talks to actor Steve Hall about Wokingham Theatre's latest production.
AMID the war-torn ruins of the Allied-occupied Berlin, the celebrated conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler is about to discover that counting Hitler among your fans is both a blessing and a curse when he finds himself at the centre of the American de-Nazification programme.
As one of the most spectacular and renowned conductors of the 1930s, Furtwängler’s reputation rivalled that of Toscanini’s but his tenure at the Berlin Philharmonic coincided with the Nazi era.
Although he was never a member, Furtwängler’s popularity with party officials saw him promoted to dubious “official” posts, sent on tours, and invited to play official Nazi functions, and based on these associations the hard-nosed, classical music-hating American, Major Steve Arnold, has been ordered to incriminate the conductor at any cost.
“It’s a true story about the most famous conductor in the world at that time,” explains Steve Hall, who plays Arnold. “The allegations against him were made because he didn’t leave Germany like all the other musicians and artists did.
“The allies accused him of being a Nazi collaberator and he was put on trial – this is the story of that investigation.”
Furtwängler and his musical colleagues claim that the conductor stayed behind to help protect the Jewish players in his orchestra. To the Germans – deeply respectful of their musical heritage – Furtwängler was a demigod but to Arnold, he is just a lying, weak-willed Nazi.
“Arnold is everything that Furtwängler is not,” says Steve. “Arnold is brash, he’s American, he’s very opinionated and crass and he doesn’t understand classical music at all.
“He’s the opposite of the German and he’s a great character to play.”
As Arnold desperately struggles to find enough evidence to bring Furtwängler to trial, Ronald Harwood’s play poses emotional questions – ‘Who’s side am I on?’, ‘what would I have done in that situation?’, and perhaps most important of all, ‘would I have had the courage to have acted differently?’
“In those days being a conductor was a very prestigious position,” says Steve. “But the play asks the question: ‘did Furtwängler abuse that and stay to reap the rewards the Nazis gave him?’
“The audience are asked to take sides themselves and consider if they agree with Furtwängler or not.”
Steve says he knows what side he would be on - but he’s keeping mum.
“I really want the audience to come and see the play and make up their own minds,” he says.
Taking Sides is at Wokingham Theatre from Thursday, October 16, until Saturday, October 25. Tickets are £8 from Wokingham Theatre box office 0118 978 5363.
Further Details
