★★★
A decently-executed concept that, like the man himself, ran out of road long before he expected to.
With his time in Washington over & a political career in tatters, it seems inevitable that Peter Mandelson would find his way to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival eventually. Appearing in his latest guise as comedian & performer Richard Stirling, Mandy: Prince of Darkness explores Mandelson’s career & various scandals in a one-man presentation-like monologue that leaves little to the imagination & much to be desired.
Re-identifying himself as ‘the Dark Lord’ early on, Stirling’s portrayal is one of grace & skill, an uncanny replication of the man we have all come to know a little too much of. Whether peering menacingly, expressing a characteristic single shred of emotion or adopting a suitably upbeat gait, you would be hard-pressed to find a performer who embodied the first (spin) doctor so appropriately. Whilst Stirling’s expression was a binary switch between a wry smile & a slight frown for the show’s entire duration, & off-putting on occasion, it could not be said to be out of character, a remarkable feat for nearly an entire hour continuously.
Where Stirling’s performance lets him down slightly is in the format & length. Whilst a presentation-style show detailing newspaper cuttings, headlines & scandals, with Mandelson’s defence & explanation is a solid format, as is the 50-minute show length, combining the two with little variation turns this character comedy into a bit of a character lecture. Whilst not inherently a criticism, its length & lack of variation does turn repetitive after an extended period.
The content itself was well-written, with comedic inflections built in to otherwise dead-pan & serious delivery. Detailing the life & times of Mandelson from his entry into politics until his (most recent) fall from grace as US Ambassador, Stirling’s analysis of the mind of a famously hard-to-read person is commendable. Whilst we will likely never know how much of his interpretation is in accordance with reality, it remains a convincing vignette if nothing else.
The cultural relevance & recency of the material is a testament to Stirling’s wit, ability to pivot to changing circumstances & faith in this writing. With only 18 days between a new Prime Minister taking over & his show opening at Fringe, Stirling has intertwined a good portion of Starmer & Burnham witticisms that help keep the material fresh, despite its relevance decades ago. It is a good indication of a comic’s abilities when they are able to take a pre-existing subject & alter it to the beck & call of the period, something Stirling excels in.
A good conception with a formatting Achilles’ Heel that detracts significantly from an otherwise impactful creation, Mandy: Prince of Darkness speaks to an audience seeking to go behind the curtain of one of Britain’s most infamous figures. A shocking, entertaining & sobering interpretation, it would be interesting to see how the former Prince of Darkness would respond to his likeness adorning a lone throne for adoring audiences at the world’s largest fringe festival.