Rosie Holt is the star, the costar and supporting actress in a one woman tour de force of Political satire
Rosie Holt is everything wrong with British politics, or at least she can make fun of everything wrong, while she plays everyone in British politics, simultaneously, in the same scene. It’s non stop, its clever, its stupid at times, and it has it in for everyone in a light hearted satire of what it’s like to be even vaguely wired into UK politics these days. Rosie Holt mainly plays a labour MP who upon receiving the news of an alien sighting – sets upon her plan to achieve first contact, smash question-time and improve her polling numbers. Events following over the next 24 hours play out on stage, from bumbling question time appearances, protests and even a theatre critic pondering the shows ‘deeper meaning’, with every character played by Rosie Holt.
It’s a chaotic yet razor sharp show, looking in from every angle – the short form content creators covering the news, a bumbling Reform MP for Swindon, Rosie Holt attempting to have a spine on Question time. As she jumps from character to character, scene to scene, no doubt some will look very familiar to scenes we’ve seen play out in real life, Rosie delivers all these characters with just the right amount of satirical exaggeration while still being sadly quite believable. Of course the classic tropes play out here, one MP demanding all the small ships must be sent back, another arguing that all aliens should be welcome with open arms, and Rosie Holt in Labour fashion trying to avoid making any strong stance clear either way.
The satire is often – as it should be – very clear, Rosie does not want any of the jokes to go over our heads, she wants to beat them all into our skull until we beg for mercy. She goes so far as to play a recurring character of a media member commenting on the show, who routinely explains the surface level subtext in a whine, in an effort to ridicule the pompous analysis some members of the press find themselves doing. While the satire and its targets are obvious – this is not a negative, Rosie Holt’s delivery is impeccable and it makes every joke land. Her comic timing, impressions, and use of the stage (including jumping into the audience) elevate the show beyond it’s straightforward writing. Rosie Holt rightfully has it in for everyone, although some sins are greater than others and those with power who bumble along are often those facing the most scorn. This is no doubt some of the best character comedy, and most joyous satire at the fringe as well as a comforting show, reminding us that yes, British politics is actually this stupid; sometimes it’s good to just have a cathartic laugh about it all together.
See Rosie Holt: The Illegal Aliens Have Landed! at 6:30pm at the Pleasance courtyard everyday apart from the 19th and the 24th. Tickets here.