15. Forwards with God

Nazis: The Road to Power

With Franz von Papen now willing to act as Vice Chancellor, alongside Hitler as Chancellor, can he convince Alfred Hugenberg to bring his 51 Nationalist MPs into coalition with the Nazi Party? Von Papen believes that together they will box Hitler in, that they will be “hiring him” – in fact, the Nazis demand is for merely two cabinet seats. But suddenly there’s talk of a military coup to forestall this - will President Hindenburg finally agree to appoint Hitler as Chancellor?

Starring Derek Jacobi as President Hindenburg, Tom Mothersdale as Adolf Hitler, Aditomiwa Edun as Sefton Delmer, and featuring Forbes Masson as Alfred Hugenberg and Edward Bennett as Otto von Meissner, the President’s Chief of Staff.

Cast: President Hindenburg - DEREK JACOBI Adolf Hitler - TOM MOTHERSDALE Sefton Delmer - ADITOMIWA EDUN Gregor Strasser - JOSEPH ALESSI Heinrich Himmler - OSCAR BATTERHAM Otto Meissner - EDWARD BENNETT Franz von Papen - WILLIAM CHUBB Putzi Hanfastaengl - COREY JOHNSON Herman Göring - SCOTT KARIM Oskar von Hindenburg & Theodor Duesterberg - JACK LASKEY Joachim von Ribbentrop - MICHAEL MALONEY Alfred Hugenberg – FORBES MASSON Magda Goebbels - SHANAYA RAFAAT Joseph Goebbels - ALEXANDER VLAHOS Kurt von Schleicher - ANDREW WOODALL The Narrator is JULIET STEVENSON

Sound designer – ADAM WOODHAMS Studio Manager – MARK SMITH Casting Director – GINNY SCHILLER Original Score – METAPHOR MUSIC Writer and Director – JONATHAN MYERSON Producer – NICHOLAS NEWTON

A Promenade Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds