Jan Vedral: Urmefisto

The true story of an actor of great talent, whose desire to excel was stronger than his conscience, inspired a two-part radio play by playwright Jan Vedral. The play was directed in 1987 by Jiří Horčička, who gave the lead role to Eduard Cupák. The basis for Jan Vedral's radio play Urmefisto came from several sources, the most important being the real-life stories of actors Gustav Gründgens, Hans Ott and writer Klaus Mann. All three were fatefully affected by the rise of Nazism in Germany. While Otto and later Mann cost their lives, Gründgens, as a Nazi collaborator, was able to take advantage of any historical situation. He did not lose his prestige as a leading German artist even in the post-war democratic conditions of the German Federal Republic, where he continued to work as an actor and theatre intendant. The main role, Eduard Cupák played the actor Höfgen, then you will hear Ladislav Freja, František Němec, Daniela Kolářová, Peter Pelzer, Josef Vinklář and Ladislav Mrkvička.