Set during ferocious presidential elections in a former communist Eastern European country, The New Real sees two American political strategists engaged in a grudge match far from home, working for competing candidates, and redrawing the political faultline.
It opens in the early 2000s, just ahead of the year’s US election in a world where populist leaders are transforming the political landscape. The New Real explores the battle between mainstream politics and a new national-populist Right.
Our protagonist takes the form of Rachel Moss, brilliantly played by Martina Laird, and who shows great on-stage chemistry with her bitter rival – and fleeting love interest – Larry Yeates (Lloyd Owen), the pair more than competently supported by a versatile cast switching between roles – with the help of changing wigs and accents.
Our strategists think they’ve come to teach the East how to do elections, but is the learning the other way around? And will what they’ve learned spread to Western Europe, Britain and America? An origin story of the contemporary political scene, writer David Edgar’s panoramic play explores the wider themes of how political and personal ideals are expressed, challenged and betrayed.
There are laughs along the way too, a Eurovision Song Contest scene being particularly memorable for bringing some respite to all the political tension. But, far from shying away from the difficult political questions – it puts them front and centre in what, at times, is an uncomfortable watch.
But it’s director Holly Race Roughan who says it best: “Through sharp characterisation, wit, and impeccable plotting, this show lays bare how the lines between truth and fiction have been blurred in the 21st Century’s pursuit of power, challenging our fundamental understanding of freedom and democracy.”
The New Real is an incisive examination of the intense political and cultural polarisation we’re all living through – and couldn’t be more timely. At just under three hours, you will need to buckle in for a show that’s as sobering as it is entertaining.
But is not to be missed!
It plays at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon until November 2nd. Tickets available HERE.
