A sharp and surprisingly empathetic piece of political theatre, The Last Days of Liz Truss? at The Other Palace imagines the internal monologue of Britain's shortest‑serving Prime Minister, illuminating the pressures and strange contradictions at the heart of British politics.
Liz Truss's 49‑day premiership may not have been long enough to outlast an iceberg lettuce, but it nevertheless generated more than enough drama to inspire Oxia Theatre's production. Embarrassing U‑turns, the death of Elizabeth II, a disastrous mini‑budget that sent markets spiralling, and the abrupt sacking of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng all punctuate the narrative. Truss recalls these events as she waits in Downing Street for the inevitable knock on the door that will end her tenure as Prime Minister.
Alone on stage throughout, she revisits her childhood, political career and the events that led to her unlikely rise to the highest office. We learn of her single‑mindedness (as a child she insisted on being known by her middle name, Elizabeth, rather than her first name, Mary), witness her passion for 80s karaoke, and relive her indignant rant against imported cheese. The momentum builds in the second act as the political events of late 2022 gather pace and we experience a government disintegrating in real time. Truss is ultimately portrayed bunkered in Number 10, reflecting on her future and fighting to convince us of her place in political history.
Greg Wilkinson's script is witty and well‑paced, creating a plausible narrative for Truss that leads you to believe you are genuinely inside her head. A writer known for his detailed research, he conducts a careful character study that avoids forcing his subject into simplistic parody. Set against a backdrop of fast‑moving political events that allow us to explore the tension between ideology and reality, Wilkinson has written a character utterly convinced she is right, frustrated at an establishment failing to yield to attempts to challenge the orthodoxy. This Truss believes herself to be a conviction politician worthy of comparison with Thatcher and Trump, but forced out by shadowy forces beyond her control. Wilkinson's writing also invites us to consider broader themes of broken political and financial systems and the realities of power. We are not pushed toward any obvious conclusions but left weighing competing interpretations of Truss as a politician: was she a misjudged victim of the press and deep state, was she deluded, or did she perhaps have a point all along?
Emma Wilkinson Wright is formidable in her performance as Liz Truss, offering the audience greater insight into the former Prime Minister's psyche than we ever gleaned from her real‑life counterpart. Wilkinson Wright's Truss is not a reductive caricature but a precise, studied creation. The clipped voice, the slightly awkward gestures and the physical stillness that made the former Prime Minister such a distinctive yet uncomfortable presence are all captured here. Unlike some of the other politicians whose voices we hear during the performance (Churchill, Thatcher, Trump), Truss is no larger‑than‑life figure who easily lends herself to impersonation. To convincingly capture the spirit of this rather uncharismatic leader in a way that keeps the audience engaged is a considerable achievement. Credit should go to Mandy Gordon and Ryan O'Grady for their superb movement direction and voice coaching. Wilkinson Wright herself has spoken of her process for bringing the character to life and the need—alongside memorising a lengthy monologue and familiarising herself with political and economic theory—to capture Truss as a real, truthful person. Ironically, the Liz Truss we see on stage at times seems a more fleshed‑out and believable character than the real thing, with Wilkinson Wright striking the right balance between humour and poignancy. At one point, whilst furiously trying to justify her economic decision‑making, the character proclaims: “It wasn't an act of vandalism; it was an act of love!” That said, two hours listening to Liz Truss—real or imagined—is about the limit of any audience's endurance, and without a PPE degree some dialogue is occasionally trickier to follow.
Anthony Shrubsall's direction provides a brisk pace that navigates us through changing political landscapes and Truss's transition from aspiring politician to Prime Minister. The direction brings out surprising emotional depth and nuance, inviting us to consider that behind one of Britain's most ridiculed political figures might lie a human being navigating overwhelming political forces. The production remains true to Oxia Theatre's aim to reflect the universal human condition and speak a deeply human truth. We find ourselves analysing not just the former Prime Minister but the system itself.
The intimate space within The Other Palace's studio is used effectively, drawing the audience in as we share in the Prime Minister's thoughts. We see Truss adjusting her persona as she moves to sit behind the desk, to muse on the past or to stand at the podium. Male Arcucci's set design and costumes are simple but effective in capturing the spirit of the character and context: the famous £4.50 earrings from Claire's and pop of colour from Swatch, the union flag and red telephone, and the dominant portrait of Thatcher that initially seems to reflect Truss's aspirations but ultimately heightens the feeling of claustrophobia and failure as the play concludes.
Thatcher is one of a number of off‑stage voices we hear crowding Truss's mind, all provided by Steve Nallon of Spitting Image fame. These voices cleverly dramatise the conversations in Truss's head: ideological mentors, critics and colleagues competing for influence over the Prime Minister. Sadly, these vocal performances are at times so exaggerated that they border on cartoonish, undermining the tone of Wilkinson Wright's much more nuanced portrayal.
The Last Days of Liz Truss? transfers to The Other Palace following two sell‑out runs at the White Bear Theatre in 2024 and 2025. Given the time that has passed and the brevity of her tenure, there was always a danger that a play about Liz Truss could feel dated. However, the writing still feels fresh and the themes explored remain just as relevant today. The real Liz Truss's activities since the play was last staged have kept her alive in the public consciousness: launching a conspiracy‑theory‑laden YouTube channel, cheerleading for Donald Trump, and doggedly seeking to vindicate her Trussonomic vision to anyone who will listen. This has clearly helped sustain interest in the production, as well as providing Greg Wilkinson with material for an updated ending. As the title implies—both in the real world and on stage—we have probably not yet heard the last of Liz Truss.
Review: Jason Lane Photo: Tristram Kenton