Democracy (play)
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Democracy is a play by Michael Frayn which premiered at the Royal National Theatre on September 9, 2003, directed by Michael Blakemore, starring Roger Allam as Willy Brandt and Conleth Hill as Günter Guillaume. It won the Evening Standard and Critic's Circle awards for Best Play.
Democracy premiered on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on November 18, 2004, and ran for 173 performances. It was nominated for the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award as Best Play.
It has also been staged in Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Wellington and Toronto.
The play, based in fact, deals with the decision West German chancellor Willy Brandt had to make about exposing the Communist spy Günter Guillaume who worked as his secretary and had heard some of the state's most important secrets.
[edit] Original London cast
- Willy Brandt - Roger Allam
- Hans-Dietrich Genscher - Nicholas Blane
- Ulrich Bauhaus - Paul Broughton
- Horst Ehmke - Jonathan Coy
- Gunther Nollau - Christopher Ettridge
- Helmut Schmidt - Glyn Grain
- Reinhard Wilke - Paul Gregory
- Gunter Guillaume - Conleth Hill
- Arno Kretschmann - Steven Pacey
- Herbert Wehner - David Ryall
[edit] Original Broadway cast (principals)
- Willy Brandt -- James Naughton
- Günter Guillaume -- Richard Thomas
- Arno Kretschmann -- Michael Cumpsty
- Herbert Wehner -- Robert Prosky
- Reinhard Wilke -- Terry Beaver
- Helmut Schmidt -- John Dossett
