Democracy
Opening Night: November 18, 2004
Closing: April 17, 2005
Theater: Brooks Atkinson
The National Theatre of Great Britain’s critically acclaimed production of Democracy, a new play by Michael Frayn, directed by Michael Blakemore, comes to Broadway. Winner of the 2003 Evening Standard Award for Best Play, the 2003 Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, and the 2003 South Bank Award for Best Play. A thrilling and moving tale of espionage, loyalty, unexpected betrayals and the paths we choose in life, Democracy is set in West Germany in the late 1960s – a time of hope and unlimited possibilities. The play charts the astonishing career of Willy Brandt, in his brief but remarkable tenure as Germany’s first liberal leader for nearly forty years. Always present but rarely noticed is Günter Guillaume, Brandt’s devoted personal assistant – and no less devoted in his other role as a double-agent, spying on Brandt for East Germany’s infamous Ministry of State Security.
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November 19, 2004
You can start salivating now. After many months of serving the theatrical equivalent of half-thawed TV dinners, Broadway has finally delivered a juicy gourmet’s banquet of a play. Michael Frayn’s "Democracy," which opened last night at the Brooks Atkinson Theater, is one of those rare dramas that don’t just dare to think big but that fully translate their high aspirations to the stage, with sharp style and thrilling clarity. For New York theatergoers who have endured the recent spate of dutiful revivals and misconceived star vehicles, watching Mr. Frayn’s gripping study of the fraught glory years of Chancellor Willy Brandt of West Germany and the spy who loved him is like riding a wave after dog paddling in shallow waters.
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