Two clowns and a musician on stage.
Project Dictator at the New Diorama Theatre.

A new comedy play about living under a dictatorship opens at the New Diorama Theatre on Tuesday 29 March.

The story is about a clown double-act who were banned, separated and sent for “re-education”, but they return to play one last show.

Project Dictator. Or: Why democracy is overrated and I don’t miss it at all is a darkly comic performance about artistic expression, complicity and the power of a damn good state-censored variety performance.

Devised by Rhum + Clay with Hamish MacDougall, artistic directors Matt Wells and Julian Spooner perform, accompanied live by Syrian composer Khaled Kurbeh. Project Dictator was informed and inspired by conversations with international artists living under authoritarian regimes.

Project Dictator. Or: Why democracy is overrated and I don’t miss it at all, runs from 29 March until 30 April 2022, at New Diorama Theatre, 15-16 Triton Street, Regent’s Place, London, NW1 3BF.