Review: TRUMP L’OEIL – A Musical at Upstairs at the Gatehouse 7th September – 2nd October 2022

‘raucous, camp and entertaining’ ★★★

A glittery raucousness descends in the leafy enclave of Highgate Village as Trump L’Oeil – A Musical takes to the stage at the Gatehouse. Arriving for its UK premier after a sell-out run in off-Broadway New York, this show that sends up the Trump administration with camp and amusing irreverence, may be just the tonic for anyone tired of weeping at the state of politics.

Written by Henry Parkman Biggs and directed by Oli Savage, a melange of cabaret, musical and queer theatre offers song, dance and acrobatics. In the title role, Trump is played by Vivek Sharma of Stranger Things, and wears a ridiculous, skewed wig with a petulant upper lip that becomes more pronounced throughout the performance. Sarah Louise Hughes (who plays numerous parts including the simian, side-burned compere) is a talent to watch.

Trump struts and flounces, oils up to power, fires his minions for the slightest misdemeanour and recruits his family. We recognise all his guises: the spoilt child, the lascivious predator, the irrational tyrant. A parallel narrative of a cross-dressing democrat (Tish Weinman as Demi) who unexpectedly falls in love with god-fearing republican (Michael Mather as Rip) gives audiences a debate of sorts and the overarching context that divisiveness allowed Trump to flourish and only mutual understanding can conquer evil.

The title, which sets up an expectation of magic tricks and visual chicanery, is taken from trompe-l’oeile, a form of creating visual illusions in art. Trump’s time in office was steeped in many illusions and much fakery but, the allusions to surrealism that feature in the set design and some of the scenes are underwhelming. Set against Trump’s living embodiment of Orwell’s doublethink, Magritte’s apple is enfeebled and Escher’s staircase superfluous to requirements.

What dominates the show are the performances, the song and dance routines and rousing musical accompaniment (choreographed by Blair Anderson and with musical supervision by Mark Crossland) Trump’s administration of the audacious demands no less than the theatre of the absurd and Trump L’Oeil delivers entertainment, escapism and a sense of collective relief that he’s over (for now.) While the Disney politics behind the show may be simplistic, the entertainment value and sheer energy of this production cannot be denied.

Trump L'Oeil

18 Sep 2022 until 2 Oct 2022

Upstairs At The Gatehouse

Production by:Jodee Conrad and Funky Tickle Productions

If you would like to book over the phone please call the Box Office on 020 8340 3488

Box Office https://upstairsatthegatehouse.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173630708/events/428504302

Director: Oli Savage

Choreographer: Blair Anderson

Musical Supervisor: Mark Crossland

Writer: Henry Parkman Biggs

Producer: Jodee Conrad

Running Time: 2 hours 20 minutes (including a 20 minute interval)

Reviewer:

Nilgin Yusuf recently graduated from a four-year Creative Writing degree at Birkbeck, where she discovered a dormant appreciation for theatre, scriptwriting and stagecraft. An experienced author, lecturer and journalist (ex-Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph and ELLE) Nilgin is developing her first full-length stage play, supported by Mrs.C’s Collective and the Arts Council.