It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a billionaire in possession of more money than they know what to do with, must be in want of political power. But if the life of politics isn't one for you, how do you get it? Thankfully, global tech conglomerate, Boogle, has a solution: introducing Amexa, your very own parliamentary candidate, ready to infiltrate British politics to ensure your interests are at the heart of government. From initial pitch to a final upgrade, we watch in fascination as Amexa creates a persona and strategies to find herself a seat in the House of Commons.
A daftly funny while deeply probing piece of political satire, Steph Darcey has written a truly brilliant parody here. Performing her own work, often a recipe for over-indulgent disaster, she owns the stage with grace and delights us throughout. She plays a host of different characters, often all in the same scene - managing to fill a room with only one person on stage is truly a sign of exceptional talent - and her robotic stylings as Amexa are bafflingly convincing. She perfectly balances presenting broad concepts with specific references to certain politicians (losing nothing from the piece if you aren't up on your MP memes but a lovely touch for those of us whose algorithms have them ingrained in our brains), and doesn't shy away from discussing more challenging themes in a way which keeps the tone light but the point clear. With elements of audience participation, use of the space that is utterly inspired (beautiful direction from Olivia Gibbs-Fairley), and a performance so slick it feels like it couldn't possibly be live, this really is everything you'd hope for a piece of fringe theatre.
The majority of room for improvement lies in the need for a larger budget; while it does limit the overall experience (for instance, more exciting quick-change or prop comedy would be welcome, as well as advanced lighting effects), it should be noted that the elements of the piece as they stand really are excellent.
To be incredibly picky, there are moments where Darcey's accent faulters, undercutting the otherwise exceptional characterisation a little. There are also two disembodied voices which appear - one hilarious AI ex machina to help narrate the one-woman show and break the fourth wall, and another which seems to be from inside the Amexa but whether this is the robot's own sentience or someone else is unclear. Finally, the brilliant script needs but a few tweaks to release its full hysterical and thought-provoking potential - some jokes linger a fraction too long, and occasionally lines aren't as biting as the surrounding script (perhaps a curse of phenomenal writing); the show itself drags ever so slightly in places, but we still leave knowing we've just witnessed a mighty feat of theatre.
A wonderful way to spend a Summer evening, though expect to be looking twice at MPs from now on(!), Prototype runs at The Old Red Lion Theatre until 18th August.
Review: Penny Lane Photos: Ali Wright