14 February - 15 March 2008

'Msamati brilliantly captures Ui's disconcerting mixture of glib charm and unpredictable menace.' Daily Telegraph

‘Msamati can be charismatic, commanding, thuggish and scary. I wouldn’t want to meet him on a dark night. And that is indeed how many Africans feel about their leaders. A bold, topical enterprise.’ The Times

With a winning smile, a Webster machine gun and an army of hoods, Arturo Ui has arrived in town looking to expand his criminal empire — offering protection and freedom — at a very large price. 

Brecht’s hilarious farce about the rise of a fascist dictator is brought crashing into modern-day Africa in this international collaboration between the Lyric’s Artistic Director David Farr and Zimbabwean actor Lucian Msamati. His ridiculous but terrifying hoodlum Hitler is a reminder — whichever continent we’re on — to keep our friends close, but our enemies even closer…

Lucian Msamati comes to the Lyric following his
acclaimed lead performance as Pericles for the RSC and his pioneering work with Zimbabwean company Over the Edge.

For everyone 12+