Who would guess that the humble cauliflower will prove the answer to his problems? But when Ui suddenly gets the idea of running a protection racket for the city’s beleaguered greengrocers, a spiral of events is set in motion that might, just might, lead to world domination!

Bertolt Brecht’s wickedly mischievous parody of Hitler’s rise to power set in gangland Chicago, is one of his most accessible and entertaining creations. Written on the run from the Nazis as he awaited permission to move to his beloved USA, this pitch black comedy was both a love letter to 1930s Americana and a calling card to Broadway.

Influenced by performers like Charlie Chaplin in the Great Dictator and Hollywood tough guys Bogart, Cagney and Edward G Robinson, the demanding title part has proved a gift to actors as diverse as Leonard Rossiter, Al Pacino, Christopher Plumber and Antony Sher. Now leading West End and TV favourite Peter Polycarpou steps into the role in a pacy, hilarious new translation by award-winning playwright and actor Andy de la Tour.

More then just a period piece, Bertolt Brecht’s savage comedy takes on a powerful new relevance this summer as voter apathy across Europe allows rightwing extremism back into mainstream politics.