Make England Great Again
Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London
★★★★

FRANCIS BECKETT’s Make England Great Again, currently showing Upstairs at the Gatehouse, is categorically not about Nigel Farage, though you’d be forgiven for thinking it is.

The play charts the rise and rise of one Max Moore, a seriously right-wing political leader, with a casual air, continuous careless throwaway chat, and a penchant for all things “un-woke.” Oh... and he’s operating in the current king’s reign and does whatever he likes when he likes.

Unlike Farage, though, Moore is our prime minister: a shocking outcome of the very next election, perhaps. The unthinkable come true!

And more shocking is that he’s using his role to overthrow every constitutional impediment in his way and is fast becoming a dictator. It’s a stark warning aimed at the electorate which sounds the death knell for democracy but plays out as satire.

Directed with pace and energy by Owain Rose, the production zips along, confident in its thesis and in its urgent contemporary relevance.  Also — unequivocal in its political stance — it will appeal to like-minded audiences who will enjoy the light humour mixed with a hard-nosed narrative.

As a play, it focuses less on character development and dramatic climaxes than on a series of meetings, speeches and events. But the clarity of purpose and political focus over-ride this somewhat jerky plot. And the humour is enjoyable and eloquent. Impassioned speeches comfortably hold the audience and raise the game.

As Max Moore, Silas Hawkins forms an easy rapport with us as he systematically outwits King Charles — and everyone else — and delivers the country well and truly to the dogs. King Charles — the only real, living person in the play — is easily recognisable in Clive Greenwood’s hands, especially by his voice which completely captures the original in tone and timbre. It’s hard to avoid caricature here, and Charles seems a bit too much of a pushover, but maybe that’s the fun.

An interesting foresight sees the leader of the opposition played as a woman. And here Miranda Colmans, as Pam Jones, excellently conveys despondency as argument and dissent in the party threaten annihilation. Eventually, gloriously, her inner passion rises and she takes charge. This is a finely judged performance.

Meanwhile, Abi Haberfield so perfectly looks the part of PR Samantha, she could be seen emerging from No 10 in the shadows any night of the week, and Clive Greenwood adds to our enjoyment by playing Pam’s husband, a caring headmaster, as well as the king.

Outstanding in the play is the author’s clarity of vision and the summing up of opposing views: first in Pam’s eloquent and reasoned exposition of her opposition policies (arguably the speech Keir Starmer should have made at the Labour Party conference) and secondly in Moore’s final address which spells doom to this country and chills the blood.

We could dismiss his right-wing rhetoric as fantasy if the same were not now daily gracing our screens. So, no comfort there.

A pleasing and vigorous evening but deadly in its fearsome prophecy. Be very afraid!  

Runs until October 19. Box office: (020) 8340-3488, upstairsatthegatehouse.com.