King’s Head Theatre 8 November, 14 November. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
Simon Jay’s Edinburgh hit came to the King’s head for the run up to the US election, and after spending election night laughing at the ridiculousness of the Trump, waking up to find that he’ll be the 45th president of the USA wiped the smile from my face. God Bless America.
Simon Jay’s remarkable performance – bright orange face, pursed lips, wild hair, suspiciously stained lapels and those “sincere” hand gestures when stressing a fact/lie – was uncanny. Just enough of a caricature to keep the audience laughing, until his “BBC researcher” came on stage to announce that Trump had won in Ohio, which sent gasps of horror and disbelief around the audience, until we found out that the victory was the number of Trump or Clinton cupcakes sold. The relief was palpable, but the audience mood changed, with a few nervous glances between the Americans present.
Lots of the nonsense Jay spouted was taken from the treasure trove of Trump’s misogynistic, xenophobic, racist soundbites that have warmed our hearts for the past two years, and Trump’s trick of repeating the last word of a sentence because he has no idea what else to say came to the fore to great comic effect.
Starting with gifts and cards from well-wishers – Assange, Farage, May and Putin (inviting Trump to ride bears topless with him!) – a fantastic speech from Melania full of stolen lines from Thatcher, Martin Luther King and Lloyd Webber and an insight into policy decision making (using golf balls), the bulk of the show is a Q&A with the audience, allowing Jay to showcase his brilliant adlibbing, although some questions were greeted with a withering sideways glance that drew big laughs. Americans, women and gays were found and abused in the audience, with the audience being told off for laughing “That’s insensitive”. Questions about the wall “It’s a freedom divider”, Alec Baldwin and Obama’s legacy were dealt with brilliantly, but the best moment came when Trump was asked “Is it true what they say about men with small hands?” with the questioner being taken behind the curtain to find out for himself. Yes, there were a few misfires, but that’s to be expected in a show that relies on audience questions, and whether the bunny game was an illustration of the smoke and mirrors of Trump’s campaign, or mere fluffy padding is debatable.
Interspersed amongst the madness were Trump’s dramatic visions of the future – excerpts of emergency announcements about survival in nuclear bunkers – very scary! After all the bluster and triumphal populist bullshit Jay didn’t give Trump his moment of glory, instead showing Trump having a moment of self-realisation as he imagines himself being sworn in as president, and ending the night in the foetal position on the floor sobbing that he doesn’t want to be president after all.
If only.
Trumpageddon returns to the King’s Head on Monday 14 November, once we’ve all calmed down. Or ordered our nuclear bunker. The Trump was very well behaved after his victory – I am sure Jay’s version of President Elect Trump will be bouncing off the walls and making us laugh and cringe in equal measure.