Draining the Swamp
By D.R. Hill
World Premiere
16-27 August 2023, Edinburgh
28-30 September, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
https://norden.farm/events/draining-the-swamp
March/April 2024, touring southern England
Instagram – http://instagram.com/drainingtheswampplay/
Draining the Swamp
Is fascism once again on the march? Does the legacy of Sir Oswald Mosley continue to feed populist, right wing movements? This provocative new play explores Mosley’s controversial life and activities, with a chilling contemporary punch.
From the perspective of the 1960’s, and the emergence of the European Union, Sir Oswald Mosley looks back on his experiences in the 1930’s. The play brings to life the meteoric political rise of Mosley as a potential Labour Prime Minister, and the subsequent founding and development of the British Union of Fascists. We see Mosley and Diana Mitford on their wedding day at Joseph Goebbels’s house in Berlin, and witness the events leading up to the infamous Battle of Cable Street, before the Mosley’s are incarcerated in Holloway Prison, during the war. Reflecting back from his silver and ruby wedding anniversaries, Mosley ponders on his legacy and the opportunities for future political leaders to communicate with and stir the masses. It ends with his legacy in 2019.
#drainingtheswampplay
Initial cast and creative team comprised Rowland D. Hill as Sir Oswald Mosley, Tina Thomas as Lady Diana Mosley, plus Georgia Winters, Simon Polo-Clarke and Dawson James. Directed by Su Gilroy, with lighting design by Matthew Biss and technical support from Robert Bullen.