Comedy, satire against power of image over substance and excellent acting add up to the impressive production of The Captain of Kopenick from University of London.The play, by German dramatist Carl Zuckmayer in 1931, is a true story about a small town ex-convict, Wilhelm Voigt, who ends up a hero following his act of malicious bravery. It was translated into English by John Mortimer in 1971 and this is its first airing.David Fairs does an excellent job of portraying a down-on-his-luck ex-convict who finds himself in an impossible position of not getting work without a residence permit, while not being able to have a residence permit without work. All the actors playing of the roles of Prussian bureaucrats, and their relations, are equally convincing, their personalities a combination of their patriotism, greed for power and subservience to the uniform.The costumes, general etiquette and props are well suited for the time period in which the play is based – pre-WWI Germany. All the actors do an impressive job of switching between various characters, keeping the audience engaged till the story climaxes as Voigt obtains an officer’s uniform and assumes command of the town, in a desperate attempt to integrate back into society.There is room to tighten the plot in places and there are scenes that do not seem to add much to the story, but otherwise an extremely entertaining production.