But imagine that job is killing millions of people and your family will be murdered if you don't follow through.

That's the moral dilemma characters grapple with in Diplomacy, a play to be staged at Orange Civic Theatre on Wednesday.

The play, starring stage royalty John Bell and John Gaden, tells the story of real-life Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling and the German general, Dietrich von Choltitz, as they meet at the Hotel Meurice in 1944 to discuss the Nazis' withdrawal from Paris.

Von Choltitz has orders from Hitler to flatten Paris, giving Nordling a single night to convince him otherwise.

Bell, who also directed the production, said the play was a thriller in the way it was full of surprises and suspense.

"There were no witnesses to the [real] conversation between the general and the diplomat, so it's very interesting," he said.

Bell said his character, von Choltitz, was both autocratic and aristocratic.

"He was a general with great experience in high command, he was very well trusted by Hitler, very old school and used to obeying orders," he said.

"But it's difficult to follow orders when it comes to the crunch."

The real general managed to leave prison, as did his family, after the fall of Berlin.

Bell said the production was selected to tour because it had sold out its first and second seasons in Sydney and with just five cast members, it was easy to co-ordinate.

"We've had full houses all the way through, it's been delightful," he said.

"It keeps the story tight and everyone has to contribute."

Bell said there was still relevance in the story today because society would have been far different had the Nazis won in Europe or Japan invaded Australia.

Tickets are $46 for adults, $38 for subscribers, $42 for concession and $30 for juniors, with school groups offered a $20 deal, available through Ticketek or at the civic theatre box office.

The performance starts at 7.30pm.