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DEMOCRACY
I am large. I contain multitudes - Willy Brandt, quoting Walt Whitman
Democracy starts with the unexpected election of Willy Brandt as Chancellor of West Germany in 1969. It quickly becomes apparent that the central occupying concern of the plot is the country's relationship with East Germany, as seen through the eyes of Brandt's personal assistant and Stasi spy, Günter Guillaume. This, and the title of the play, means that the documented outcome of history thirty years on hangs about the characters like precariously perched statue about to topple.
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Philip Quast is the sort of performer who must play big roles; on stage at least where he can't really turn off his bass-baritone resonance. Not just his voice, but also his stature and theatrical style of acting works best in the classics or musical theatre. While he's very good in Democracy - effectively portraying the highs, lows and ambiguities of Willy - I'd argue that even Brandt might just be too constricted a part for him; or the play - a drama of small scale, despite its broad scope - not quite suited to his strengths. He is large. He must contain multitudes.