A political satire on the Clegg-Cameron pact, this well-performed and entertaining play follows the power struggles of fictional Lib-Dem leader Matt Cooper (Thom Tuck), whose party is in meltdown following his many U-turns to serve his Tory masters.
The main draw here is Phill Jupitus as silkily camp Tory Grandee, Sir Francis Whitfield, gliding through doors like the Ghost of Tories Past, his arrival signalled only by a sinister ring tone. Comedienne Jo Caulfield plays it convincingly straight as steely Lib-Dem Chief Whip, Angela Hornby. Her scenes with Jupitus are a pleasure as they work expertly in sync to create a sinister double act.
Thom Tuck plays the Lib-Dem leader Matt Cooper (aka Clegg) as a squirmer, twisting and turning to stay in power. A likeable lead, his performance builds in confidence as the play unfolds. Finally though, he is left hanging by a script which denies his character any real intelligence.
Although the writing is skilful and there are some good one-liners the play doesn’t bring anything new to our understanding of Clegg. We are not invited to like Cooper and yet we don’t really hate him either. There is no central tragedy to relate to or downfall to celebrate, which left me feeling lukewarm about the story. You can’t help but compare it to other political satires. Pitched somewhere between the gently knowing tone of ‘Yes Minister’ and the inventive savagery of ‘The Thick of It’ it doesn’t quite hit the heights of either.
Yet there is great support from all the cast, especially John Dorney as a manic-depressive candidate, Phil Mulryne as an ambitious protegé and Gyuri Sarossy as the smooth Tory PM. Actors and comics have come together to create a feel-good atmosphere that the audience really enjoy.
A coalition of styles perhaps – successful on the performance side, less so in the writing. But good to see political satire back in the theatre and, based on this audience’s cheers, winning the popular vote.
