COMEDY-SATIRE
"FOLLOW MY LEADER" by Alistair Beaton at Hampstead Theater, until April 21
The satire-play is lively, entertaining and daring. What I did find offensive in Beaton's satire is his depiction of Americans as complete idiots.
by Maximillien de Lafayette
Alistair
Beaton's new play-satire on the war on terrorism is refreshing, hilarious and
provocative. Refreshing, for it depicts two heads of states, Blair and Bush as
half arrogant and half quasi idiots leaders with astonishing childish naivety.
Hilarious, for the characterization of the personalities and political
assumptions of both leaders is sublimely ridiculous and humouristic.
Provocative, for Mr. Beaton's without reservation portrays Americans as
"complete idiots".
The play is lively,. It moves fast. Also, it is entertaining and daring. Many Londoners tend to believe that the satire-play exudes a self-righteous assurance remarkably equivalent to anything revealed by the prime minister. The play leads us to believe that Blair is George Bush's melodramatic puppet. However, a puppet inspired by a divine power. And that is funny! This puppet parades on stage as an act from God nourished with religious fervour and zeal. Yet, this divine manifestation on stage depicts a marginal and insecure personality. Blair joins the American forces, always completely influenced and dominated by Bush. And our prime minister appears very radiant and delighted in joining Bush in singing "We're sending you a cluster-bomb from Jesus."
Rapidly
following the theatrical dynamics, Blair has been transformed into a stagnant
persona peeping between the tail and legs of this extravagantly exaggerated
phony "colossus". Bush is watching Blair. And Blair is following Bush
like his shadow. It appears to be an American shadow transmitting a "global
message": World governance, world dominance, world domination by the mighty
American power, eloquently depicted by Bush as a justified "new world order".
Bush is singing this anthem. A new anthem, indeed. And his American chorus is
dressed in star-spangled attire. Blair keeps on peeping between his legs, or
perhaps the legs of the American giant!? The satire-dance-chansonnier type is
remarkably funny. Anthems, choirs refrains and hymns such as "The Pre-Emptive
Defence" loudly and off-key sung by a tough, vulgar and redneck American
general add an extra dimension to laughter and ridicule. Richard Blackford
wrote the music. Did he anticipate ulterior motives? Did he intend to ridicule
the American military by choosing a vulgar and redneck type military commander
to represent the image of the "big brass" class of the American Pentagon?
Most certainly he did. The military Yank leader was everything on stage but a
distinguished military leader. However, he appeared quite entertaining, funny
and stupidly pleasant to a certain extent. Fortunately, few Americans were
among the audience, I assume. For, in reality, free of sarcasm and "theatrical
hypocrisy", the play was a direct attempt to ridicule the American military
and the White House "characters". The play would have enormously offended a
totally American audience and created a public outrage.
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