![]() The final scene will reveal the office in tatters, clearly alluding to the 2021 Trump-inspired storming of the Capitol. And when the centre stage opens to reveal the White House Oval Office, there’s absolutely no room for misinterpreting the focus of the production. The initial impact when you enter the auditorium is sensational, with so much colour, action, music and fun. Not only that, the foyer is 100% American, with flags and banners even the tranquil Chichester open space now hosts a hot dog and burger van. But at Chichester director Polly Findlay and designer Lizzie Clachan have gone one stage further (in fact, probably several stages further), as the Festival Theatre is currently transformed into one huge American Presidential Party Convention, all stars and stripes and dancing mascots, the band in MAGA hats (with the acronym MAGA removed, probably wisely), a political glitterfest if ever there was one. That makes sense the original setting for the show starts at a fairground shooting gallery. When we saw it at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2015, the foyer and auditorium were decked out as if it were a spooky old fashioned fairground. ![]() There’s something about this show that inspires directors and designers to think outside the box when it comes to arresting their audiences’ attention. You can’t help but wonder if Sondheim could have benefited from a few sessions on the psychiatrist’s couch at the time. Not only is it about assassins, and not only about assassins of American presidents, but it even incorporates failed assassins of American presidents. ![]() The second show of our Chichester theatre day – and the second not to have an interval, which I’m assuming is a bizarre coincidence – was Assassins, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s 1990 musical about the nichiest of niche subjects.
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