The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

“This is a terribly ambitious project.  Twenty-one actors play 50-plus roles.  There is, occasionally, a tentative quality to their performances that will fade as the run progresses (you might want to catch one of the last ones).  Technically, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui presents a huge challenge which on Thursday night was well met.  There are archival film clips of Nazis and slide projections, and set pieces are constantly being carted about.  Some lines are uttered by actors hanging upside down.  You’ve got to admire the chutzpah of this student cast and the UVic faculty.

– Adrian Chamberlain, Times Colonist

“Then again it doesn’t hurt to be surrounded by such a youthful and talented cast.  Mike Klemak turns in a driven performance as Ui, capturing the split personality of the charismatic leader, crippled by self doubt and paranoia.  His inner circle of thugs is portrayed by Jay Hindle, Ian Lake, and notables are Monica Prendergast, Annette Dreeshen and Heming Hopkins.  Richmond, as always, coaxes uniformly even performances from all, no mean feat given the disparities of some of the younger performers.”

– Robert Mitchell, CBC Reviewer

“No question, there’s a lot here that works.  The cast is uniformly splendid, specifically Annette Dreeshen’s ‘Ragg’, Zachary Stevenson’s ‘Roma’ and David Ferry in a pair of juicy roles that lend themselves to some delicious overacting (Dogsborough, Mahoney).  And Mike Klemak pulls off the title role of Ui with a menacing power, dominating the stage whether he’s speaking or not.  Similarly, the production values are outstanding;  if any one thing is responsible for the success of this play, it’s Mary Kerr’s costume, make-up and set designs.  And Tim Matheson’s visual projections, while overused, add a haunting historical foreshadowing that can’t be understated.  Kudos too to both Yvonne Yip’s stage management and flawless handling of her crew, who silently moved the enormous sets with nary a missed spike.”

– John Threlfall, Monday Magazine

“The larger than life characterizations, complete with flamboyant stage makeup and 1930’s expressionist costumes, adds to the satirical nature of the play.  The stage is dynamic and impressive with constantly changing scenery and the effective use of video images projected on the set…The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui is an entertaining evening of theatre with an energetic and enthusiastic cast of 21 singing, dancing and debating performers.”

– Johanna Ward, Nexus