"Democracy" announces full cast.
Wed 4 Aug 2004 "Democracy" announces full cast. Full casting has been announced for Great Britain's National Theatre production of Democracy, a new play by Michael Frayn, directed by Michael Blakemore, that will open on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on 18 Nov 2004, following previews from 2 Nov 2004. Democracy will star James Naughton as Willy Brandt, Richard Thomas as G�nter Guillaume, Robert Prosky as Herbert Wehner and Michael Cumpsty as Arno Kretschmann. The production will also feature Terry Beaver as Reinhard Wilke, John Dossett as Helmut Schmidt, Julian Gamble as Ulrich Bauhaus, John Christopher Jones as Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Richard Masur as Horst Ehmke, and Lee Wilkof as G�nter Nollau. The Broadway production of Democracy reunites Michael Frayn and Michael Blakemore for the first time since Copenhagen, the 2000 Tony Award winner for Best Play and Best Director. A 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 Germanys first liberal leader for nearly forty years. Always present but rarely noticed is G�nter Guillaume, Brandt's devoted personal assistant - and no less devoted in his other role as a double-agent, spying on Brandt for East Germanys infamous Ministry of State Security. Democracy opened to rave reviews at the National's Cottesloe Theatre in August, 2003, where it won the 2003 Evening Standard Award for Best Play, the 2003 CriticsCircle Award for Best Play, and the 2003 South Bank Award for Best Play. The production recently opened at Wyndhams Theatre on the West End. Set design is by Peter J. Davison, costume design by Sue Wilmington, lighting design by Mark Henderson and sound design by Neil Alexander. Democracy will be produced on Broadway by Boyett/Ostar Productions and Nederlander Presentations, Inc. Tickets go on sale Sun 26 Sep 2004
Originally published on