The 47th—The Old Vic (London)

If this does well (as the credentials of all involved suggest it very well could), I imagine we might see it over here at some point.

From the website:

Love me some Bertie, but I don't know that audiences in the US would be rushing to see this. Feels a little too real on this side of the pond.

Probably why British stuff does so well here, feels more fantasy.

This is potentially part of MTC fall season from what I am hearing, leading right up to midterms

Yep! Got my tickets to the last performance!

EDIT, sorry, it's "The Collaboration" at the YOUNG Vic I have tickets for the last performance. Seeing The 47th in early May.

Updated On: 2/24/22 at 10:21 AM

Well I thought this was absolutely amazing and one of the best things I’ve ever seen. It’s outrageous, hilarious, shocking, bizarre, awful, chilling, interesting, poignant and entertaining. The style of language and plot is like Shakespearean prose that suits the larger than life characters and events. It managed to be both very plot driven and character driven. There won’t be any surprises which way the political commentary pendulum swings in terms but it does manage to say interesting things about a lot of issues. Bertie Carvel gives one of those once in a lifetime performances and would win the Tony immediately. I would not change a single word and transfer the play immediately to Broadway and give it the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Play Esq. said: "Did not see that coming! I’d buy tickets based upon binau’s opinion of this show alone."

Agreed. And justice for Bertie who should have gotten the Tony for Matilda (in Featured, cause you can't beat Billy Porter in Kinky).

I can’t wait to see this next month!!

Maybe an obvious point but I also think a challenge for the US is that the show would be highly controversial and polarising even to those on ‘the left’. And because it is so political of course every audience member and reviewer will have an idea of what should and should not be portrayed, whether it’s brilliant and chilling satire or a just another cheap opportunistic comment on the state of America, whether British people should be telling this story or not, whether it’s something people would want to see right now or not etc.

Tamara and her character is definitely the heart of the show and the other main lead even if Carvel is taking all the limelight because it’s just so so virtuosic. The other good part is Trump’s daughter. Otherwise there are no other notable performances in my opinion. One weird thing is they go for super detailed impersonations of Trump/Kamala and somewhat but to a lesser extent Trump’s daughter. However, none of the other characters really resemble or act like their real life counterparts much at all (eg. Cruz and Biden). I assume it’s actually a directorial choice to keep the focus on the three leads but who knows.

JBroadway said: "Lydia Wilson, playing Ivanka Trump, is the same actor who played Kate Middleton in King Charles III. An interesting juxtaposition!"

Lydia Wilson's performance as Kate Middleton in King Charles III was so riveting and fantastic. I loved that whole play, but, man, that performance has stuck with me in a special way even all these years later.

I'm seeing this early next month as a Mike Bartletttriumvirate (Cock and Scandaltown as well). I'm a big fan of King Charles and am seeing this political play on the strength of that, but I am still a little worried about a Brit's take such precise American political circumstances. Not that he won't get the facts correct, obviously, but there is a certain feeling one has of living in this country every single day amidst all this social and political turmoil that I can't help but predict that, from my American viewpoint, the play will render life here in very basic, none-lived-through colors. I'm not saying that I fear it will be "Americans Writing A Diana Musical" bad, and I'm sure the performances will be great, but I'm still a little concerned...

I saw this about a week ago and have been thinking about it quite a bit since. The play is nothing like what i expected it to be. Spoken in a Shakespearean sort of dialogue it really takes a bit to get into it, hearing a spot on trump impression speaking like that. But once i adjusted to that, I thought it worked beautifully. It’s obviously very timely but I think it’s so “of the moment” and the way the play is written, it will actually be outdated in 2 years after the next election so they’d better hurry up and bring it over if they want to. Not saying it won’t still be a good play but the play ponders the question of what will happen in the 2024 election, that’s the plot.


There is one thing that really bothered me about it and it’s something that consistently bothers me. That is the portrayal of Biden as a feeble, senile old man which is so f*cking dangerous. SNL and others do this repeatedly because it’s a cheap laugh but perception is reality and in 2 years, will people vote for what they perceive to be a senile old man? It’s dangerous.