Commedian’s show plays trump card

‘‘The secret is concealer around the eyes and eyebrows and then too much blusher.’’

The worst has happened – Donald Trump is president of the United States, and he is determined he will never be kicked out of office.

That is the premise of a play written and performed by Alexander Sparrow. The Upper Hutt comedian has set The President one week after Trump theoretically takes office.

In the play, the former American businessman has decided to write a book, explaining why he will never be kicked out of the Oval Office.

‘‘Live shows should be entertaining, that’s the No 1 aim,’’ Sparrow said. ‘‘If it makes them think about how they would vote if they were over there then that is great but the main aim is to have a good time.’’

The stand-up comedian had ‘‘perfected’’ Trump’s too-tanned face and unusual hair style: ‘‘The secret is concealer around the eyes and eyebrows and then too much blusher.’’

Getting the hair right required four bottles of bleach, using gel for the sides, brushing the hair forward, folding it back, straightening it ‘‘so it looks creased like a shirt’’, clipping it down, spraying it with hair spray and removing the hair clips.

It was about more than just getting the look right, though.

‘‘Other impersonators go over the top on his appearance and only go over the issues at a surface level because they only have a few minutes. During an hour, I can be a bit more nuanced.’’

Sparrow reassured theatregoers they would not need a huge lot of background information to enjoy his show.

As the much-hyped man was well-known, impersonating him was both challenging and also meant the 23-year-old could dive straight into topics.

‘‘What he has said about minorities, religious groups and women – basically anyone not like him – has made it hard for people to not vote for Hillary.’’

Political satire is a first for Sparrow but his director, Patrick Davies, had been behind the sold-out season of Public Service Announcements at Bats Theatre.

The President plays at Wellington’s Bats Theatre from November 1-5 and is also touring main centres.