Community Club at The Old Vic
‘The 47th’ Review
Currently showing at The Old Vic, The 47th is Mike Bartlett’s Shakespearean take on a dystopian return of Trump in the 2024 US presidential election. This week, we were invited to see the play, and we spent a day at the theatre for a workshop and backstage tour with the Community Club! The Old Vic are committed to enriching lives and expanding horizons through theatre, and their Community Club supports equality of access to the arts with workshops and free tickets to theatre performances. We were lucky enough to join the final Community Club session, alongside Renaissance Studios’ Creative Clinic.
Equipped with our backstage knowledge and ready for the show, we sat down in anticipation to see The 47th. Suddenly, it’s 2024: Trump runs for president again, and an ailing Joe Biden (literally) begs Kamala Harris to take over as President of the United States. Family feuds amongst the Trumps and political chaos ensues, as Biden is out of the picture and Harris is left to contend with far-right gangs of Trump supporters.
The set design is immediately striking: the theatre is mercurial, meaning the actual shape and size of the stage can be changed and formed into whatever is necessary for the production. For each new play, The Old Vic has the power to mould and sculpt the space however they see fit. As a result, the set is impressive and captivating throughout - from Trump driving on stage in a golf buggy in the first scene, to the moving, circular stage which helps to create tension and, when necessary, a sense of total chaos. We’re kept on the edge of our seats with confetti, lights, and passionate Trump-supporting characters shouting chants from the audience. Sitting up in the dress circle, we still felt immersed in the action by the lighting and sound design which took us on a journey from a golf course, to a TV debate, to a bar, a prison, the Oval Office, and beyond.
The demonstration of ruling by fear as a one way ticket to all-out fascism is effective: the evocation of the Proud Boys is unnerving, utilising imagery from the 2021 storming of the Capitol. Bartlett’s play comments on those enthralled by ‘individual freedoms’, the rallying cry of the right wing, and taps into obsessions with specific conceptions of strength and masculinity. One Trump-supporting character asks her Democrat brother if he would kill a stranger who was about to hurt his hypothetical children, and how would he possibly do so without a gun? Without the ability to inflict deadly suffering on others, how will we ever be safe? As such, The 47th unravels the ways in which these dog-whistles based on fear and paranoia disguised as realism see strength in the ability to hurt people. The solution in the play, as in reality of course, is not so clear.
Bertie Carvel as Donald Trump in The 47th at The Old Vic. Photo by Marc Brenner.
At times, the script falls a little short in its deification of Harris as a flawless figure – we felt that the play presents a too-easy and simplified view of political tensions in the US. However, whatever the play potentially lacked in depth, was absolutely made up for by the gripping performances of Bertie Carvel as Donald Trump, Tamara Tunie as Kamala Harris, and Lydia Wilson as Ivanka Trump. Carvel certainly steals the show – we were told that it takes two hours in hair and makeup to perfect his uncanny transformation. He truly does become Trump: not just in his appearance, but in his mannerisms, his voice, his walk, and his tantrums. Throughout the play, Carvel’s performance and Bartlett’s comedic script work in perfect harmony – in one scene, Trump sits in jail and boasts that his incarceration will give him a “cool Mandela feel” in the eyes of the public.
Overall, it was the knowledge and enthusiasm of the Education & Community team at The Old Vic which truly made this a day to remember. We got an access-all-areas tour, a theatre lighting demonstration, and we even stood on the stage! In providing immersive theatre experiences for young people, the Old Vic challenges preconceptions of the theatre as an elitist space, and actively works to create more inclusive and accessible spaces for storytelling and entertainment. Find out more about the Old Vic’s community projects here, and be sure to keep an eye out for future projects you can get involved in.
The Renaissance Studios Creative Clinic is hosting free creative workshops for 16-30 year olds between 16th-20th May 2022. Led by industry professionals and special guests, Renaissance Studios want to empower you to ‘Be Your Own Boss’. For first-hand tools and knowledgeable gems on how to take control of your creative journey, sign up here.
