Set in 1930s Chicago, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui mirrors events that brought Hitler to power in 1930s Germany. Bitingly sardonic, Brecht uses the Cauliflower Trust of Chicago as a metaphor for the wealthy German landowners who aided Hitler’s rise.

Dogsborough (Christopher Godwin), representing Hindenburg, then president of Germany’s Weimar Republic, gets caught up in the Trust’s corrupt activities and small-time gangster Ui (Hitler) and his men capitalise on this. They blackmail Dogsborough and offer protection to the vegetable sellers. Fear and violence are their calling cards. When Ui finds these tactics work, he casts his eye further afield to see where else he can intimidate and invade.

The strength of the play lies in its ridicule of key figures of the Nazi regime, and this production delivers some brilliantly stylised caricatures. In the role of Ui, Gattis smoulders with repressed rage, whilst displaying a veneer of mannered control. Until, that is, he explodes with violent rhetoric. His ability to orate and to command crowds of people is his power – and a dangerous one at that.

Ui’s henchmen, Roma, Giri and Givola, (representing Nazi party figures Rӧhm, Gӧring and Goebbels respectively) are equally absurd, although Roma, played by Kadiff Kirwan, who spends his time looking tough, is the most toned down of the three. Mawaan Rizwan’s performance as Giri is dazzling. One minute showman, the next vicious thug, he is also a connector between audience and action. Givola, played by LJ Parkinson, is a florist on the surface, but beneath the scented aura lies a con-artist and a schemer.

The staging plays on these ambiguities, highlighting both the ridiculous and the violent. Drawn-on moustaches of Ui and his gangsters and their inflated physical gestures play to the satire, whilst flashing lights, half-crazed movement sequences and heavy rock music create frenzied undertones.

A fairground setting adds to the sense of façade. Costuming, from fedoras and long overcoats, to shocking red military uniforms as the play closes, reinforce the feeling of threat. A beautifully delivered unaccompanied song at the end of Act I adds to the incongruity.

Neon signs above the stage and hand-held placards narrate historical events in 1930s Germany and give more than a nod to contemporary times. So, too, do moments of nuance in performance, notably by Gattis, suggest a wider frame of reference. And it’s not only Germany which has witnessed that Nazi salute.

A production that shifts from lightness to dark and back again at the speed of light, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is totally gripping. The final speech and epilogue, both delivered by Gattis, are ones which stay and play on the mind. This is theatrical satire at its best.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui was directed by Seán Linnen. Set and costume designer was Georgia Lowe. Music was by Placebo and sound designer was Johnny Edwards. The translator was Stephen Sharkey.

It is on at the RSC until 30th May. For further information visit rsc.org.uk.