Interview: Beyond the Ballot Box: Finding the Human Heart in Political Comedy
The Red Prince, Lion and Unicorn Theatre
Benjamin May, Susan Nickson, and Tim Dawson discuss The Red Prince
Following the seismic shift of the 2024 General Election, the UK political landscape has been ripe for theatrical dissection. Enter The Red Prince, a poignant new comedy at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre that trades the shouting matches of the Commons for a solitary, midnight soul-searching session. Focused on Craig Kitson, a newly elected Labour MP, the play asks tough questions about what it means to lead when the mandate is “loveless.” We caught up with the show’s creative team (writer Tim Dawson, director Susan Nickson and performer Ben May) to find out how they translated the headlines of the last few years into a study of power and pragmatism.
How would you describe The Red Prince?
Really funny. A genuine attempt to examine the situation as it is, in 2026, now. We’re trying to do something new – to add a personal, emotional element. We sympathise with these people… we are not trying to make an ideological point. We tried to have a pop at everything and everyone in the pursuit of really funny jokes. We also want to find something to like, something human in these figures… A party is a big machine, a person is a person.
Ben, you’re playing Craig. How have you approached the character?
The first step is to set aside the plot, and work out the emotional journey. How does he feel about himself, what does he say about himself – not necessarily the same things. What are the hard facts we know about Craig? What does that say about how he presents – in terms of body, voice, accent. You tackle the character from a point of neutrality – what is presented in the script colours everything. You don’t take a stance on Craig’s politics – this is a character study.
Is this the first outing for The Red Prince?
On stage, yes. We trialled a few sections – the start especially – with a scratch night at The Cockpit Theatre. Just to nail the character and the comic tone. Those sessions went well with a live audience and we developed from there. This is the first time the full play has been unveiled.
How long have you been working on the play?
It’s difficult to put a timeline on it, because Ben and Tim had quite a lot of discussions about a show before settling on the idea. The beginning was presented at The Cockpit in October, and the majority of the script was written after that. Ben then set up the deal with The Lion & Uniorn – December. That was a crucial commitment for us, because we could then all work to that. We’ve been rehearsing since 29th January.
What brought you all together?
Ben and Tim have known each other for many years, and Tim and Susan have known each other for many years. So, once Ben and Tim were working on the show, Tim asked Susan to come on board as the director.
How have you approached directing, Susan?
I’ve never directed before but obviously I’ve been around sets and brilliant directors all my working life. I thought The Red Prince would be great fun for a start and also, personally, I wanted to see if I could do it. I’m a writer, work life is solitary for the most part – this seemed like a lot of fun.
What should people expect when they come?
“This play is an absolute BLAST!”
Ed Bye – who directed Bottom, Red Dwarf, Absolutely Fabulous, loads of stuff we love – gave us this quote so we’ll go with that.
Thanks to Tim, Susan and Ben for their time. The Red Prince will play at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 February.
