You know what they say, “Behind every good man, there stands a woman.” But, what if it’s not a good man? What if he is, in fact, the worst man, and also happens to be leader of the free world? Well then one woman is really not going to cut it.
Directed by Marni Mount, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive is the latest production from Lightning Jar Theatre. It’s a brilliant show, sharp and exuberant and often utterly mad. Yet, as mad as certain moments in the play get, nothing depicted feels remotely as deranged as the actual decisions coming from the actual Oval Office playwright Selina Fillinger drew her inspiration from.
We never see the President, but we’re able to glean something of the predicament he’s put the White House in from the literal first syllable of the play. Tasked with navigating a way out of the calamity are his Chief of Staff (Carolyn Bock), Press Secretary (Tilly Legge), his Sister (Hannah Greenwood), the First Lady (Candy Bowers), an Aide (Liliana Dalton), along with a reporter (AYA) and his mistress (Lucy Ansell).
As with any good farce, events in the story begin to escalate, which certainly held true for the first half. Then, we got Act 2, and “escalate” suddenly becomes inadequate to describe the beautiful, theatrical mayhem that unfolds. Each of the cast were wonderful in their respective roles, giving us modern-day slapstick that was a thrill to watch.
One of the company’s strengths is not only the scripts they choose, but also the creatives they get onboard to bring those scripts to glorious life, POTUS being no exception. Rachel Lewindon’s sound design helps to perfectly frame and define the bedlam on stage.
Sophie Woodward’s terrific set design renders the corridors of power in layers of gauze-thin curtains that manages to be both pragmatic as well as giving the staging hints of a mythic quality. Those curtains also allow Lighting Designer, Richard Vabre, to work magic, especially in the play’s final moments.
Ironically though, as scenes go, it’s one of the dimmest lit, because despite all the frenzy, panic, and heroics, the spotlight always must shine on another gender.
Another of Lightning Jar’s undeniable qualities is the strength of their storytelling, which, again, POTUS demonstrates in spades. It’s been six years since audiences were last blessed with a LJT production (Mr Burns: a post electric play).
May whatever rituals to Dionysus be completed to ensure we don’t have to wait as long for the next work. In the meantime, get yourself to fortyfivedownstairs, you won’t be disappointed.
POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive
fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Performance: Saturday 15 February 2025
Season continues to 2 March 2025
Information and Bookings: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com
Image: The Cast of POTUS – photo by James Reiser
Review: June Collins