Premiering this April, Placebo will soundtrack the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.
Placebo have teamed up with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) for an incredibly special new score.
The iconic duo – Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal – have composed the music for a new 2026 production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, which has been updated by Stephen Sharkey and is directed by Seán Linnen.
Hitting Stratford-upon-Avon’s Swan Theatre from April 11-May 30, the production stars Mark Gatiss and is described as a ‘riotous gangster spectacle, set in the back alleys of Chicago’s criminal underworld’. It reportedly offers ‘a blistering satire on Hitler’s ascent to power and a chilling warning from history which continues to echo down the centuries.’
“We are very honoured and excited to be collaborating with the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time to create the soundtrack to The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht,” Placebo announce. “Thematically, this cautionary tale from history feels more urgent and prescient than ever, and its relevance to today’s world is very chilling.
“The creative process for this project was very different for us, sometimes akin to shooting arrows in the dark. So we tried to connect with the psychology of the outsider, as well as taking inspiration from themes of power, alienation and moral decay – which are at the core of this play.
“We are elated by the thought that Placebo’s newest music will be performed nightly at the Swan Theatre and we can only hope that we have done this great play justice.”
“Placebo are one of the most daring, original and imaginative rock bands in history so it is unbelievably thrilling they’ve come on board to write a brand-new soundtrack for our production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui this spring,” continues Seán Linnen. “Music is an essential part of Brecht’s plays and having Brian and Stefan’s glitteringly expansive, darkly seductive and deeply theatrical score played live onstage in the Swan theatre each night is going to be completely exhilarating for our audiences.”
