PRESS RELEASE:

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SHAKESPEAREAN SATIRICAL PLAY ABOUT BORIS JOHNSON‘S RISE NOMINATED FOR OFF-WESTEND AWARD AT TRISTAN BATES THEATRE

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After a successful run at Brighton Fringe, (‘Magnificent’ - Broadway Baby ****), ‘Boris Rex’ opened Camden Fringe in August to critical acclaim and an Offie nomination in a new category for short runs. With Johnson the newly anointed PM, this timely 4-handed satire examines his rise through the lenses of Shakespeare, clown and Greek tragedy. 

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“Beware the pedalling bombshell...”

‘Boris Rex’ follows its perfidious anti-hero from the boorish days of Oxford University, right through to a blood-soaked General Election, to spin a murky tale of ambition, back-stabbing and ultimately a national catastrophe. Borrowing elements from both Julius Caesar and Richard III, the play fuses original verse with newly-penned pentameters, spoken word, comedy and rap. It follows on from Charlie Dupré’s 2017 Edinburgh Fringe hit, ‘Macblair’, which told the story of Tony Blair in a similar style.

Praise for ‘Macblair’:

“Genuinely substantial, genuinely Shakespearean satire” Fringe Guru **** “Witty, satirical script, talented ensemble” The Scotsman ****
(Top 6 hot picks for political shows)

Charlie Dupré | Writer

Charlie is a two-time Hammer and Tongue Camden poetry slam champion, and a Jerwood/Arvon Playwriting Mentee (2019/20). His previous plays include ‘The Stories of Shakey P’, which was co-commissioned by the RSC and toured extensively; and ‘Macblair’, which played the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringes 2017 to critical acclaim. He plays the role of Jacob Rees-Mogg in the show.

Alexandra Spencer-Jones | Director

Spencer-Jones directed Action to the Word’s A Clockwork Orange and Dracula, and was the recipient of the Musical Theatre Matters UK award for Best Emerging Artist.

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