Leigh Douglas's 'Rotus' Brings Sharp MAGA Satire to London's Park Theatre
In a week where US politics feels utterly inescapable, Irish-born, American-raised comic Leigh Douglas delivers a perfectly timed theatrical intervention with her one-woman show, Rotus: Receptionist of the United States. Having enjoyed a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, this spiky political satire now lands at London's Park Theatre, offering audiences a darkly humorous dissection of MAGA culture through the eyes of a singular character.
A Sorority Girl in the Drumpf White House
Douglas portrays Chastity Quirke, a former sorority girl who finds herself as the White House receptionist for President Ronald Drumpf—a thinly veiled and highly sexist administration. Chastity begins the performance with fervent conservative zeal, enthusiastically endorsing MAGA-style beauty standards. She provocatively engages the audience, demanding screams for the cause of "making America hot again" and incorporating suggestive gyrations into her routine.
Chastity vehemently insists she is not mere "window dressing for the Drumpf administration", but rather views herself as an integral cog in its machinery. However, a disembodied narrator—also voiced by Douglas in Chastity's tone—hints at impending turmoil. The plot thickens as we learn President Drumpf plans to unlawfully extend his tenure beyond two terms. Chastity, privy to this conspiracy, faces a moral dilemma: will she obediently destroy the incriminating documents, secreted in a Whole Foods carrier bag, or will she take a stand?
A Seriously Funny Performance with Multiple Characters
Over the course of 70 minutes, Leigh Douglas proves herself a seriously funny and versatile performer. Under the able direction of Fiona Kingwill, she seamlessly embodies not just Chastity but an array of side characters. The men of the Drumpf administration are portrayed with bad posture and lecherous gazes, while the women are depicted as sprightly and coquettish. The sparse set design never feels limiting, instead bending flexibly to accommodate each new persona Douglas introduces.
Satire That Loses Some Bite
While the show starts with great energy and biting humour, it slowly runs out of juice as it progresses towards its conclusion. The narrative teeters unevenly, with gags becoming less sharp and some lines leaning towards the overly broad. This includes a take on Martin Niemöller's famous poem about apathy in the face of Nazism, adapted by Chastity to lament, "First they came for the immigrant families, and I said nothing, 'cause I wanted the boys to like me."
The ending arrives tensely and abruptly, which somewhat blunts the impact of the show's spikier satirical moments. Despite this, there remains much to appreciate in Douglas's execution and the production's clear-eyed perspective.
Nailing the MAGA Woman Psyche
Ultimately, Douglas and Kingwill have succeeded in nailing what makes MAGA women tick. The show insightfully portrays that the drive is not merely a superficial yearning to be pretty or accepted, but also a profound and often unsettling lust for power and influence within the political sphere. Rotus: Receptionist of the United States runs at the Park Theatre in London until 7 February, offering a provocative and timely reflection on contemporary political cults of personality.
