Play dares to ask what would happen if Liverpool voted Tory

If this play's extensive title hadn't done that already, the opening of 'The Independent Socialist Republic Of The Upper End Of The Lower Breck Road' lets you know exactly where it stands.

Left-wing anthem 'The Red Flag' belts out as the play begins in the Lower Breck Road constituency office of long-standing Liverpool MP Peter Byrne (Graham Elwell). Pictures of Che Guevara and Jeremy Corbyn adorn the walls of the tired room as Peter's loyal staffer Kat (Kathleen Collins) delivers a diatribe about "f***ing lying b******s", which namechecks Margaret Thatcher.

With his red tie loosened and his top button undone, Peter is slumped at his desk in that office - barely cogent and staring at the bottle of whiskey in front of him. He has just finished third in an election, with the unthinkable happening in a Liverpool constituency.

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Parties go unnamed - it is "our lot" and the "other lot", but it doesn't take a genius to work out who is who. The "other lot", marked by their enthusiasm for cutting public spending in the name of so-called fiscal responsibility, have been elected in this North Liverpool seat and nobody can quite believe it.

What follows is a swift and sharp play that goes to many (some pretty violent) places you would not expect. Genuinely radical, it wears its heart on its rolled up sleeves, taking aim at the worst aspects of modern politics in a bellowing rallying cry.

The script by debutant Lawrence Quilty is positively original. The concept is fresh and his dialogue, while occasionally heavy handed, is well-observed, very funny and brimming with cutting satire.

The play's four-strong cast thrive with that dialogue. Graham Elwell makes for a very convincing veteran MP, driven to distraction as he is pushed to the edge, while Princess Khumalo's role as a London-based party staff member is nicely observed.

Lucy Bromilow's Zara - who represents the "other lot" - is an excellent foil. Her dialogue may be a little on the nose, but she is blessed with a number of great zingers (including one particular standout about golfing at Formby) and relishes the villainous role.

However, the standout is Everton-born Kathleen Collins. She is a livewire as Kat - Peter's loyal staffer who grew up in his constituency. She is treated to the play's best writing and thrives in a brilliantly Scouse role.

The play is staged excellently - staying within the constituency office throughout. The Royal Court's Studio - an intimate performance space below the main theatre - is perfect for such a play. You feel you are being dragged into a grassroots movement, plotting the government's downfall.

It is a distinctive, funny and impassioned play, using a unique premise to ask searching questions about our politics.

'The Independent Socialist Republic Of The Upper End Of The Lower Breck Road' runs at the Royal Court's Studio until May 18.

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