A POWERFUL drama which. on the face of it, does not appear to have popular appeal, is pulling in some capacity audiences to the Abbey Theatre Studio in St Albans.
The Company of Ten is performing Ronald Harwood's play about Nazi collaboration, Taking Sides, and it focuses primarily on two men - the great German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler and his American interrogator Major Steve Arnold.
It is based on the "trial" Furtwangler had in front of a Denazification Tribunal in 1946 to try to decide to what degree the conductor was a Nazi sympathiser - a debate that has never been resolved.
Taking Sides is an intense and passionate play with moments of humour to relieve the tension.
Russell Vincent, who takes the role of Major Arnold, is one of the Company of Ten's finest actors. In Taking Sides he is totally brilliant in a demanding and emotionally-draining role into which he pours body and soul.
Because the play is in the Studio, the audience is close to the action and the hush in the final interrogation scene is palpable. As Arnold screams at Furtwangler, it feels like the worst kind of eavesdropping - totally compelling, but should have been private.
Russell retains his American accent throughout - right down to referring to the Fuhrer as 'Aydolf' and making comments about Herman (Goering) and Joseph (Goebbels) - and completely blurs the lines between acting and real life, no small achievement in amateur theatre.
In anyone's book. Russell's performance is remarkable but he has a strong supporting cast led by Derek Coe as Furtwangler.
He is the perfect antithesis to Arnold - regarded by many as the world's greatest conductor while his interrogator is a former insurance salesman.
Derek gives Furtwangler a hauteur and confidence that comes from being held in such high esteem but eventually his vulnerability shows. The two men are extremely well matched.
And it was nice to see the return of Nick Tarrant to the stage after a long break as the nervous "second violinist" Helmuth Rode who is persuaded to "betray" the conductor.
Ian Jordan as the young liaison officer Lt David Wills who is defensive of Furtwangler as the man who made him love music, also gives an excellent performance as do Rhianon Howells as the put-upon Emmi Straube. Arnold's secretary, and Jill Hendy as Furtwangler's supporter Tamara Sachs.
Director Nick Strudwick has brought the very best out of his cast and the play itself. Taking Sides deserves to be sold out every night and any remaining tickets can be obtained from the Company of Ten box office on 01727 857861 or go to www.abbeytheatre.org.uk
MADELEINE BURTON
© Herts Advertiser 2010. Reproduced by permission