Schweyk in the Second World War (2009)

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Poster by Mark Davies

by Bertolt Brecht, translated by William Rowlinson

Directed by James Hough (JH)

Performances: Tuesday 19th to Saturday 23rd May 2009, Prompt Corner


Introduction

This play derives from Jaroslav Hašek’s satirical and unfinished novel The Good Soldier Švejk, with Brecht transporting the tale from the First to the Second World War. The play is mostly set in Prague, the then the capital of the German Third Reich’s “Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia”’; it is 1942 and the German army’s doomed drive to capture Stalingrad is underway.

Most of the scenes occur within The Chalice, a pub in Prague (Schweyk’s “regular”). However, we also have scenes in the Gestapo HQ, Hitler’s HQ, the Prague railway yards, a military prison and the frozen steppes of Russia on the approaches to Stalingrad.

Cast

(in alphabetical order)

  • SS-Obersturmführer Bullinger / Wehrmachtdekan Bullinger / Officer at Hitler's HQ / Czech Prisoner / Singing Panzer Trooper - David Blatcher
  • Mr Schweyk – Alan Brown
  • Der Führer des Großdeutschen Reiches, Adolf Hitler - Alan Buckman
  • Reichsmarschall (and Reichs Minister of Aviation, Forestry etc etc) Hermann Göring / SS-Schütze Müller II / Customer at the Chalice / German Soldier, Prague Goods Yards (off stage voice) / Mr Vojte / Russian Peasant / Deserting German Soldier / Singing Panzer Trooper: Sean Chapman
  • Dr Paul Joseph Goebbels, Reichsminister für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda und Gauleiter von Berlin / Customer at the Chalice / Agent, German Department of "Woluntary Var Verk" / Czech Prisoner / Singing Panzer Trooper - Nick Conway
  • German Soldier - Derek Dempsey
  • Kati / "Lady" in Hitler's HQ / Mobile Squad to HQ Trooper No. 1 – Lena Feindt
  • Young Prochazka / SS-Schütze (Prague Goods Yards) / Czech Prisoner – James Furlong
  • German Soldier - Stuart Grimwood
  • Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler / SS Officer (Prague Goods Yards) / German Soldier / Deserting German Soldier / Singing Panzer Trooper - Stefan Lorett
  • Mrs Kopecka – Jenny McLaughlin
  • Mr Baloun – Peter Medd
  • Geheime Staatspolizei Agent Brettschneider / Generalfeldmarschall Von Bock ("Der Sterber"), Kommandant, Heeresgruppe Süd / Herr Doctor / Singing Panzer Trooper: Christopher Vian-Smith
  • Anna / "Lady" in Hitler's HQ / Mobile Squad to HQ Trooper No. 2 / Customer in the Chalice – Karen Webb (mistakenly referred to as "Anna Webb" in the programme owing to idiot director)
  • And Lux, Mr Vojte's dog - played by himself

And (last night only)

Crew

Krieg im Westen

When the audience were coming in, the idea was to have some German soldiers relaxing and watching a propaganda film. Accordingly, some white material was placed on the set for a film to be projected onto; and the film "Krieg im Westen" ("Victory in the West") was hired from the Imperial War Museum, payment being made for five viewings. Unfortunately, the projector blew a fuse on opening night, so all we got was the sound from then on. However, some commented that this was sufficient to get them "in the mood" for the play. Interestingly, the film featured, amongst others, the then General von Bock prior to his promotion to Field Marshal (after the fall of France); he bore little resemblance to Chris Vian-Smith.

Historical Mistakes!

Brecht made the following ones:

He gave the address of The Chalice as 7 Huss Street. Marek Lavstoka at the Prague Municipal Archives confirmed to JH that the address of the Chalice in WW2 was 12 - 14 Na Bojisti Street, where it is still running.

Brecht also had Hitler addressing Von Bock as "Herr General" whereas Von Bock was a Generalfeldmarschall at the time (1942).

Reviews

Some review quotes go here


Gallery

John Sansom's photographs of the play can be seen here

Reminiscences and Anecdotes

Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.

See Also

References

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External Links

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