The Red Prince – The Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

If you’ve ever wondered what happens after the “loveless landslide”, The Red Prince has a fairly bleak answer.

The Red Prince

Well. The story of a beleaguered and disillusioned Labour MP in Bolton – how timely.

The Red Prince, a production by Nice New Tie on now at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre, is a 60-minute monologue written by Tim Dawson and directed by Susan Nickson. Craig Kitman MP (Benjamin May) is 18 months into a “loveless landslide” and already wondering how it all went wrong. He didn’t so much choose a political career as drift into one. Winning, it turns out, was the easy part. Governing (or even understanding what he’s voting for) has proved harder.

We meet him alone in his constituency office, working steadily through a large bottle of House of Commons whisky and ignoring calls from an unknown number. Over the hour, the reason for those calls becomes clear. I won’t spoil it, but it’s a personal scandal rather than a policy failure.

The script is packed with one-liners. Not always my favourite mode of comedic theatre, but there are sharp observations here about the reality of being a minor figure in a major party, especially in a Northern seat where expectations are high and resources thin. There’s something recognisable in Craig’s sense of inadequacy: elected on a wave he barely understands, held to account by a persistent local journalist, and discovering that power doesn’t necessarily mean agency.

A Recognisably Current Slice of Political Comedy

Where the play becomes less certain is in what it ultimately wants to say. There are threads about Labour’s struggle to retain trust, about the narrowing of political personalities, about voters selecting safety over substance. These ideas surface most explicitly towards the end, and felt – to me at least – slightly bolted on. The “so what?” arrives late, and in quite broad strokes.

There are definitely a lot of funny moments here and topical insights – there’s no denying Dawson knows how to structure a joke. But at times it tips from character study into something closer to a stand-up routine. The rhythm becomes set-up, punchline, move on. I found myself wanting a little more breathing space. Fewer zingers, and a bit more exploration beneath the surface.

That said, May’s performance keeps it grounded. He charts Craig’s swings between almost-confidence, vulnerability and something darker – hints of genuine despair – without losing the audience. It’s not easy to sustain sympathy for a man unravelling in self-pity, but he largely manages it.

One small note: the audience response on the night I attended was occasionally encouraged from offstage. It’s a minor thing, but ideally a script doesn’t need that kind of help by the time it’s onstage.

There’s potential here. With a little tightening, and perhaps more confidence in its quieter moments, The Red Prince could dig deeper. As it stands, it’s an entertaining if uneven, recognisably current slice of political comedy.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3/5

The Red Prince on until 7 March 2026. More info and tickets here.