Renowned Brecht scholar and International Brecht Society member Tom Kuhn is featured in a recent episode of The Play Podcast on Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. The episode explores Brecht’s “gangster spectacle,” its satirical treatment of Hitler’s rise, the play’s history from its composition in exile in 1941 to its first Berliner Ensemble production in 1959, and its continued relevance today.

Kuhn is joined by playwright Stephen Sharkey, whose adaptation of Arturo Ui is currently being performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Their conversation offers valuable insight into the play’s political urgency, theatrical wit, and enduring warning against authoritarian populism.

Listen to the episode below.