Review of The 47th , the Old Vic

A brilliant performance from Bertie Carvel as Donald Trump illuminates this engaging play about power and democracy, as the former president returns to the race in 2024. The amazing performance of Carvel is worth the admission money alone. Entering on a golf buggy before missing his putt, the Trump character tramples through the political jungle like a bull elephant. The hair, the orange tan, the swagger and asides are mesmerising in this portrayal. The foil for Trump is vice president Kamala Harris, brilliantly played by Tamara Tunie. Displaying an energy, that visibly increases, when she becomes President, Harris represents the voice of reason and rationality versus the motivator of the mob. The mob, though, are never far from the scene, with horned headress wearing 'QAnon shaman' , who debuted in the riots at the Capitol in 2021, always to the forefront - in fact probably too much so. Another excellent performance comes from Lydia Wilson as a Machiavellian Ivanka Trump, scheming to sideline her brothers before taking over as Donald's political heir. Miriam Buether's set tilts and revolves, helping contribute to the momentum of events, from riots and prison scenes to the Whitehouse control room during the coup attempt. Mike Bartlett's script embraces a Shakespearean backdrop, with the distinctive blank verse usage, illuminating links to Julius Caesar, such as when Trump betrays Ted Cruz to grab the Republican nomination. Then there are resonations with King Lear, Macbeth and Richard III. The humour, though, is never far away, such as when Trump, imprisoned in Guantanemo style orange, muses to Harris about his Mandela moment - "the long walk to freedom." But there are also underlying serious political questions, such as whether Trump represents fascism in 21st century form and whether Harris and Biden have really done much to stop a Trumpian re-emergence in 2024? What has changed - the underlying disparities of the capitalist system remain, increasing and making more people feel disempowered? The 47th is well worth going to see, a nicely crafted production by Rupert Goold, yet somehow it does fall a little short. Overly long, the narrative labours at times and rehashes too much old political ground. The effort to bridge between satire and slapstick using Shakespearean type blank verse is an ambitious ask that sometimes falls flat. However, there is plenty here to both amuse and raise concerns as to what 2024 holds for the US and the world. The play provides much food for thought - definitely worth a viewing.