Play by late German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht [1898-1956].

"Times are bad. Prices are rising. House prices are falling. There's a recession looming. A new leader is needed. Its 1930s Chicago. With a winning smile, a machine gun and an army of hoods, local crime boss and aspirational tyrant Arturo Ui sees an opportunity. He offers protection and freedom - at a very large price.

Brecht's both alarming and hilarious farce about the rise of a fascist dictator has all too many modern parallels. Originally written in 1941, the play is a highly satirical, no-holds-barred allegory of the rise of Hitler in Nazi Germany. All the characters, groups and situations in the play had direct counterparts in real life.