‘A vigorous apologist for a cruel emperor’: Is Caryl Churchill’s explosive new play about Trump and his press officers?
From Thatcherism to global crisis to an ever-online world, she has chronicled our race to the abyss. Now she’s written a play about a blond-wigged voicepiece for an un-named, strongman ruler. Who can she mean?
TL;DR
- 'Triumph,' Caryl Churchill's latest play, runs for 20 minutes and critiques contemporary barbarism using historical analogy.
- The play features a romance between a journalist and a press officer who initially defends a cruel emperor but eventually reveals the regime's atrocities.
- Churchill draws parallels between ancient Roman emperors and modern leaders, illustrating how media is used to sanitize brutality.
- The play is described as an example of Churchill's 'compressionism,' a style characterized by formal brevity and a bleak outlook.
- The article also reviews Churchill's earlier works, such as 'Cloud 9,' 'Top Girls,' 'Serious Money,' 'Far Away,' 'A Number,' and 'Escaped Alone,' noting her evolution in style and themes.