“The Thick of It” and “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci is headed to the stage with his first play “Pandemonium,” a satire of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The production is described as “A funny, wild ongoing history play about how our great leaders grappled first with the Pandemic and then with each other. The Johnson-Truss-Sunak years told at a furious pace in all their horrible glory.”
Johnson resigned as UK Prime Minister in July last year in the wake of mounting political scandals. Some centered on parties at 10 Downing Street during the COVID-19 lockdown, and an inquiry found Johnson guilty of misleading parliament about them.
Casting has yet to be announced for the stage play. In a press release, Iannucci spoke about his aims for the production:
“I wanted to write something furious and energetic about the past three years. ‘Pandemonium’ is partly about us wanting those in charge to be up to the job, to be heroes, and the anger that started building when the news of the drinks parties began to emerge.
And yes, I wanted to write something funny (don’t forget, we also had Liz Truss!). Laughter is a great release, and my aim is for the audience to have a good time and a good laugh, but I also hope it helps people process the tumultuous and crazy time we went through.”
Tony-winner Patrick Marber will direct the play which will open at London’s Soho Theatre from December 1st and run through January 6th 2024. Iannucci also remains working on a stage production adaptation of Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” for London’s West End.
Source: Comedy.co.uk
