Democracy

This show has now closed, click here for a listing of current and future London shows

Opened 9 September 2003, closed 30 December 2003 at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in London
Transferred 12 February 2004, closed 30 March 2004 at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre in London
Transferred 20 April 2004, closed 9 October 2004 at the Wyndham's Theatre in London

A new play by Michael Frayn, directed by Michael Blakemore. Democracy was originally staged at the National's Cottesloe Theatre in 2003 prior to its run at the Lyttelton Theatre and transfer to the Wyndham's Theatre.

Winner: 'Best Play' - Evening Standard Theatre Awards - Critics' Circle Awards - South Bank Awards

Three political parties, in and out of bed with each other like drunken intellectuals, fifteen warring cabinet ministers, and sixty million separate egos. All making deals with each other and breaking them. All looking round at every moment to see the expression on everyone else's face. All trying to guess which way everyone else will jump. All out for themselves and all totally dependent on everyone else. Not one Germany. Sixty million separate Germanies. The tower of Babel!

West Germany, 1969. Willy Brandt begins his brief but remarkable career as the first left-of-centre Chancellor 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, spying on Brandt for the Stasi.

Michael Frayn's multi-award winning Copenhagen, also directed by Michael Blakemore, premiered at the National before transferring to the West End and Broadway.

"Frayn pulls off another triumph" The Daily Telegraph

"Thanks to the skills of Frayn and director Michael Blakemore I was gripped throughout" The Times

"The most intelligent and gripping new English drama since Frayn's last stage outing with Copenhagen in 1998" The Daily Telegraph