Enjoy a hysterical romp through the third Reich

The Producers

The swastika is raised in the Cultural Quarter, but only in the name of comedy as a cult classic comes to the local stage, writes Alan Cookman

NAZI stormtroopers will tap dance across the stage of The Regent Theatre next week in the show that brought Nuremberg to Broadway.

It's all in the worst possible taste, but that's the whole point of the fictional musical Springtime For Hitler.

In The Producers, the outrageously funny cult comedy by Mel Brooks, the Broadway show Springtime For Hitler is deliberately created to repel and disgust theatre audiences.

The men behind it have gambled on the grotesque charade being the biggest flop in the history of the New York stage.

Unfortunately for them, it's a smash hit. Broadway theatregoers and critics hail the show as a satirical masterpiece.

In the lavish production by the North Staffordshire Operatic Society, Jon Bott and Tom Pear star as crooked producer Max Bailystock and hapless accountant Leo Bloom (as played by Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in the original movie).

They hatch the plot to put on the all-singing, all-dancing, swastika-draped homage to Hitler and his Reich, fully expecting to make a killing when it bombs.

Catherine O'Reilly plays the blonde bombshell Ula, and Tony O'Rourke is Roger DeBris, the mad transvestite who is entrusted with directing Springtime For Hitler.

Edward Stokes is Carmen, Roger's hissing assistant, and Thomas Davies is Franz Liebkind, author of the musical described as "A gay romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden".

Professional director Scott St Martyn took charge of the local production after staging The Producers in Portsmouth.

"I must have seen 40 performances and I still laugh every time," he says.

"It sounds offensive, but it's the funniest show I've ever done, and I've directed more than 140 musicals."

It's the London-based director's third show with the North Staffs, having achieved great success with Annie and Guys And Dolls.

"There's a lot of exciting new talent in this production, and I truly believe that anyone who sees it once will want to come a second time," said Scott.

"It's a big production with a huge budget and a massive bill for sets and costumes, but it really is a fantastic spectacle.

And how often do you get to see tap-dancing Nazis?"

The Producers is at The Regent Theatre, Hanley, from November 3 to 7 at 7.30pm nightly, with Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Tel 0844 871 7649.