Casting Call
Those that know me either digitally or in real life already know that when it comes to Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, I’m a nerd. I just love it. Why? Well lots of reasons …
The plays are thoroughly entertaining - they liked their plays ‘earthy’ in those days.
The comedies are damned funny and tragedies can move you to tears
The theatre pissed off the puritans, which is always a good thing
but the main reason is the fact that playwrights were superlative portrayers of human flaws and frailties. Please note, in 475 years or so, we haven’t changed a jot.
Anyhoo as Ned Ryerson liked to say, this got me thinking about today’s politicians and the dramatis personae of that golden era of English theatre. Which politicians are best represented by which characters? So for what it’s worth …
The ReformUK Ltd Company
Sarah Pochin - Lady Politic Would-be (From Volpone by Ben Jonson)
Completely preoccupied with herself and constantly preening reflecting her superficial nature. She attempts to display her knowledge but her references are inaccurate or ill-placed highlighting her lack of genuine understanding and making her a figure of ridicule. Her overblown behaviour and attempts to sound worldly provide comic relief and serve to highlight the corruption and deceit of other characters with whom she is associated.
Farage and Tice - Iago (From Othello)
A truly evil Machiavellian schemer and manipulator. Iago lies constantly for his own ends and deceives others so that not only do they not suspect him, but they count on him as the person they can trust.
Anderson - Bottom (From A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Bottom believes he is a great and talented thinker. He is sadly mistaken. His inflated sense of self-importance, his obliviousness to his own intellectual limitations and his lack of any recognisable talent make him a source of comic foolishness to all around him and they let him know so but he is so dense that such put-downs often pass straight over his head.
The Tories
Jacob Rees-Mogg - Malvolio (From Twelfth Night)
The puritanical and straitlaced steward known for his disapproval of any form of fun, humour or revelry. His self-righteousness leads him to behave in an increasingly absurd and ridiculous manner
Robert Jenrick - Angelo (From Measure for Measure)
Embodies a hypocritical and puritanical self-righteousness and eschews all forms of fun. Demands strict adherence by all to his own absurd beliefs and uses his position for criminal purposes.
Boris Johnson - The Cardinal (From The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster) or The Duke (from The Revenger’s Tragedy by Thomas Middleton)
This description applies to either character. While initially and outwardly appearing pious and respectable, he is revealed to be deeply corrupt, sexually depraved, utterly degenerate and willing to commit heinous acts, including manslaughter (cf COVID and “let the bodies pile high”). His self-righteousness is a facade that hides his true narcissistic nature and highlighting the hypocrisy prevalent in his establishment.
Michael Gove - Mosca (From Volpone by Ben Jonson)
A deeply corrupt parasite, he embodies a school prefect-like flattery of others which he uses to get his way. His self-righteousness is put on in order to be better able to manipulate and deceive. He revels in his ability to control and exploit others.
David Cameron - Othello
His weak, pathetic, pitiful and self-important character allows him to be easily manipulated by Iago. A General in name only, by allowing himself to believe Iago’s lies, he destroys his power base, his family and himself. Commits suicide.
Labour
Keir Starmer - Dr Faustus (From the play of the same name by Christopher Marlowe)
An intelligent and basically good man who is consumed by ambition and a lust for power for which he sells his soul. He oscillates between revelling in his power and trying to repent. He does not truly believe or understand the consequences of selling his soul until the end of the play when the devils come for him
So there you go, I hope these paltry vignettes have been of some entertainment for you. Toodle pip!
👏👏👏Fantastic and accurate!
Not at all, an entertaining read - thank you!