Publisher's Synopsis
Political satire about a little village that didn't want to be part of a big city. The residents of Little Middleton are up in arms about proposals that will spell the end of their village. Following the announcement of plans to create Middleton Garden City, Antonia Morgan takes on the cause of the villagers, not because she believes in their cause, she just thinks it will win her votes and guarantee her place in political history.Things don't quite go to plan, but by the time she finally realises the damage and chaos that she's unleashed and tries to change course, it is too late. The cause had been hijacked by the local loud mouth Brian Barber, a man who everyone had previously thought was just the village idiot in love with the sound of his own voice .After declaring independence for the village, he calls a motion of no confidence in the leader, and gets the angry villagers calling for her head on a plate, before removing her and installing himself as the leader of the village, willfully taking it into political isolation, food shortages and the collapse of the local economy, rather than have any outsiders have say in its future.A Beginner's Guide to Populism premiered at The Cockpit, London in 2017 as part of the Voila! Europe Festival. The plays dark comedy now serves as a chillingly accurate prediction of what was to follow in UK political history.'There is a plethora of political satire and critique being produced at the moment, and so finding a unique take on it is hard. 'A Beginner's Guide of Populism' is able to take a fairly worn out topic and give it a fresh face, it's incredibly refreshing and thought provoking, and somehow manages to be funny too! Part of the cleverness of this play was echoing the current political situation, but not copying it. In this way they are able to demonstrate the dangers without being clichéd.' Eleanor Gunn - EdFringe Review.comExpertly conceived, written and executed by a team who plainly have an eye for the socio-political zeitgeist. Echoes of the present resonate throughout - references to sex pests, contempt for experts, the invitation to build a wall - all delivered with wry humour and witty lines. A thoroughly entertaining play, brilliantly executed and cleverly written.' Ian Hamilton - Buxton Fringe Review'A timely production. It lampoons populism and its insular message with great verve, but without offering simple solutions. The writing is pointed and telling, and manages to note many of the strategies feeding the rise of populism without feeling didactic. The us-and-them divisions are nicely drawn, as what makes an outsider so becomes ever more ludicrously defined.' Stephen Walker - Fringe Guru
