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Trumpageddon ★★★★
Edinburgh
Sweet Grassmarket (Venue 18)
Until Sunday 28th August
2016
Donald
J Trump is a serious news story. He could become the leader of the United States of
America in 2017. He could be in control of one of the
most powerful countries in the world. That makes him international news. His
every action and pronouncement is studied across the globe. Has any other
runner for America’s top job been under so
much scrutiny? Simon Jay has clearly studied his actions closely. He has done
his homework on the presidential candidate. Just like Charles Chaplin studied
Adolf Hitler before making the Great Dictator. The result is Trumpageddon. A
show filled with statements that a more shocking because we know a future
leader actually said them in public.
Simon
Jay has looked carefully at both Trump’s physical and verbal ticks to produce
an all too convincing caricature – a human form of a Spittin’ Image puppet.
The
show begins with the US anthem and then Trump
takes to the lectern. He issues thinly veiled
insults about the British leaders before taking questions from the
floor. Here is the clever element which
shows the research that has gone into the show. The reaction to each question
from the audience is either to repeat a statement that Trump has made or to
rebuff the comment in a style that the audience will recognise from his many TV
appearances. This makes for a convincing monster.
Some
theatrics are added into the mix. We have the paintings from his grand children
complete with worrying explanations and a continuing theme of how his Grandma
could have influenced his adulthood. This interludes don’t go on too long nor
do they try to justify the pronouncements that he comes up with.
The
audience during this particular show were a mixed group including visitors from
India, Canada, Australia and the US and none were supporters
of the real Trump. The audience gave as good as one would imagine they would
with the real Trump and Simon Jay responded as we have witnessed on our evening
news. It made for a interesting debate. Yes, there were laughs.Yes, there was
golf. But there was also a worrying hollowness to the humour. Could a man that
said these things soon have his finger on the nuclear button soon?
Trumpageddon
is an empathetic insight into the man seeking power -not empathetic to Trump
himself though, the emotion is ultimately directed at those affected by his
many outbursts. Simon Jay has done well to capture the man and bottle the
content in which he is held by today’s audience. Possibly the scariest show at
the fringe this year! Recommended.
This
review was written by Stephen Oliver the North East Theatre
Guide – follow Stephen at @panic_c_button
Tickets:
Tickets
cost £8.50 (£6.50 conc) and are available at the usual Fringe outlets, the
venue or online at: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/trumpageddon
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