Going blond and far beyond as Boris
Monday February 10 to Saturday February 15 The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson
Theatre Royal Windsor
From peroxiding his hair to learning new lines nightly, actor Will Barton is fully briefed and upto-date when it comes to his lead role as one of the most polarising politicians of all time.
The new political comedy from journalist, broadcaster and playwright Jonathan Maitland,
The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson sold out at London’s Park Theatre, making a tour almost inevitable.
For Will, taking the play around the country doubles his pleasure.
“I absolutely love touring and a week in a city really gives you the chance to get to know a place. I love to get out and see all that there is to see.
“It is always lovely to return to a town or a theatre you have enjoyed before and so I am very much looking forward to taking The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson to Windsor.”
He is just as enthusiastic about the play.
“It’s a great night out,” he promises.
“Great fun and it doesn’t lecture. Interestingly, I had two friends come to see the show on the same night. One had his People’s Vote badge on and had been on a march that day; the other was a big Nigel Farage fan. They both loved it. It is something for both Leavers and Remainers. But it is also a cautionary tale.”
Would he describe the play as an antidote to Brexit?
“It is really good fun, a bit ‘out there’ and very funny.”
Set in February 2016, the play follows Boris Johnson as he has decided to vote ‘leave’ and, at a dinner party, he is joined by fellow MP Michael Gove, Gove’s wife, the journalist Sarah Vine and, for Boris at least, the spirits of Prime Ministers past – Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill and Tony Blair.
Fast forward to post-Brexit Britain, 2029. Boris, no longer in power (for reasons that may be fact and/or fiction at time of performance), roams the political wilderness.
But then a series of unexpected events see him back in the spotlight.
“I can’t say too much or it will be a spoiler, but it’s interesting to wonder what Britain might look like in 10 years’ time and to guess at what Boris might be up to. Let’s just say that he has the chance to ‘make Britain great again’.”
The show's blurb says that ‘the script will be updated – nightly, if necessary – to reflect events. Surely that's above and beyond the call of thespian duty?
“I’m more relaxed about it this time,” says Will though he admits it was daunting at first.
“With Boris I began with the fact that we both don’t always think before we speak.
“He is a very contentious character; the loveable buffoon with a darker side who says what comes into his head half the time, but I was delighted to be asked to play him.”
Will has appeared in shows including A Confession, Vanity Fair, Holby City, EastEnders, New Tricks and Doctors. Fortuitously, providing the perfect warm-up, he also played Boris in the BBC drama documentary, Theresa v Boris.
“That was quite a sympathetic performance of Boris, I think,” he says, adding that during the London run of ‘The Last Temptation’ Rachel Johnson, Boris’s sister, came to see the show incognito and couldn’t get over the likeness of Will to her brother.
“She was raving about it and thought it was absolutely hilarious, so I must have been doing something right!”
“I dye my hair and it makes a big difference. I’m not sure why, but it does.”
And with the likelihood of having to learn new lines every night to keep pace with Boris’s real life shenanigans, he needs all the help he can get.