The Last Days of Liz Truss at The Other Palace (Studio) Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content guidance: strong language, strong sexual references, disco/strobe lighting.
We all remember where we were during Liz Truss’ premiership. The pound lost value. Pensions were up in the air. The headlines were scathing. The Queen even died. It’s hard to believe that all of this happened within 49 days of her walking into 10 Downing Street. It would be a waste not adapt this to the stage, and so enter The Last Days of Liz Truss. This is the third iteration of the production, from a rehearsed reading to a critically acclaimed run at the White Bear Theatre to the studio of The Other Palace.
We meet Truss as she is preparing to leave office. She knows what is coming and gives us a rundown of her early life, her early career, right through to her time in Parliament. Emma Wilkinson Wright steps back into Liz Truss’s shoes and Claire’s Accessories jewellery as if she had never been away. It must be so easy to slip into caricature mode with a figure like Truss; however, this is never the case with Wright. She brings Truss to life with the awkwardness, slightly hunched posture, and delusions of grandeur. We get the manic grins and the over exaggerated speeches (‘That is a DISGRACE!’ anybody?) I saw The Last Days of Liz Truss as a rehearsed reading, and it has been truly brilliant seeing Wright settle into this role and radiate confidence whilst doing so. Dare I say, Wright’s performance also makes me sympathise ever so slightly with Truss, which I do think is a great point, given it could be easy to simply lay into Truss and her rather unsuccessful run as Prime Minister.
A bigger space means a more impressive set. We walk into the studio space and into Liz Truss’ office. Designed by Male Arcucci, this includes a desk, a Margaret Thatcher portrait, a bookcase topped with a bottle of fizz, and a lectern. To my delight, there was also a screen on the back wall, often showing an image of Number 10s garden but changing to images of Donald Trump, newspapers and a document showing a list of pros and ‘deltas’ of Truss running for Prime Minister. This is a welcome addition, adding some more depth to the production. Direction and movement direction from Anthony Shrubsall and Mandy Gordon, respectively, has Wright moving around the stage with fluidity, coming to life behind the lectern and lounging on her sofa when she is soliloquising.
I can’t write this review without mentioning Steve Nallon as ‘The Voice of Margaret Thatcher and Others’. Known for his work on Spitting Image, it is a delight hearing him take on not only The Iron Lady but also the plummy tones of Jacob Rees-Mogg, the sheer panic of Kwasi Kwarteng, and various other journalists and radio listeners. Nallon isn’t just comedic, but also glaringly accurate in places too.
At 1hr 55, this is quite a long production. Wright is a powerhouse and I could never get bored with watching her perform Greg Wilkinson’s witty script. However, I do feel like the show could be shortened slightly in order to be punchier and to break up the longer speeches, which were quite tedious when we saw Truss deliver them herself.
I have seen The Last Days of Liz Truss grow from the rehearsed reading stage to pub theatre to larger studio space. It is still as brilliant the third time round, updated to include more relevant nuggets, including the rise of Reform, and still full of humour and tension in all of the right places. Truss me – you don’t want to miss out on this gem (lettuce).
At The Other Palace until 15th March 2026.
★★★★
