Butcher's Weapons Inspector Calls After Dubya HitDate: 3 December 2003
As previously tipped (See The Goss, 29 Oct 2003), Justin Butcher has written a sequel to last year's political satire The Madness of George Dubya. The new piece, A Weapons Inspector Calls, based on JB Priestley's classic 1946 thriller, premieres on 11 December 2003 (previews from 9 December) at Theatro Technis in Islington, north London, where it continues to 10 January 2004.
In A Weapons Inspector Calls, it's the eve of the US presidential elections, the polls have opened and President George Dubya and his cronies are gathered in the Oval Office to celebrate his imminent re-election. But then a ghostly Weapons Inspector turns up, having spent the past 18 months and $900 million trawling the Middle East for the fabled WMD. He has questions to ask all of those gathered around the festive table.
As with The Madness of George Dubya, the new piece will feature satirical songs and live music and well as continually updated commentary on political world events. Butcher, whose other credits include the Whatsonstage.com Award-winning Scaramouche Jones, once again directs.
The nine-strong cast for A Weapons Inspector Calls are Alasair Craig (as Tony Blear), Mark Heenahan (The Inspector), Barbara Cox-Hastings (Laura Bush), Stephen Daltry (Mervyn), Matt Dominic (Vice-President Arnold Schwartzenegger), Jacqueline Wood (Cherie Blear), Andrew Harrison (George Dubya), Rupert Mason (Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld) and James Pearse (Former President George Bush Snr).
The new production is designed by Cordelia Chisholm, with music by Stephen Daltry, lighting by Robin Snowden and sound by Jack Arnold. It's presented by Passion Pit Theatre, PW Productions, Kenneth H Wax Ltd and McLaren Burnell.
After its initial run on the fringe, The Madness of George Dubya transferred to the West End's Arts Theatre where it played an extended 22-week season. However, further performances have been ruled out after objections from the estate of Stanley Kubrick, upon whose semimal film Dr Strangelove the stage play was based.
- by Terri Paddock
