During the late 1950s and early 1960s, concern over nuclear annihilation peaked with mass membership organisations like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) leading thousands on protest marches. Today, the threat is arguably greater, having moved on from the Cold War arms race to greater proliferation with weapons held by a wider number of states.
This situation means a new play based on Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film ‘Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb’ is timely. Not only does the new play satirise the 1960s, it presents a window into the world of today’s political mayhem.
The play, like the film, satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States, ridiculing nuclear war planning.
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the War Room!”
The stage adaptation of the film has been created by Armando Iannucci and Sean Foley and it stars the actor Steve Coogan. The play debuted in London’s West End during October 2024, beginning its run at the Noel Coward Theatre on St. Martin’s Lane.
In the same way that Peter Sellers pulled off playing four characters, Coogan achieves the same feat and with equal skill and believability. Coogan plays Dr. Strangelove, Captain Mandrake, President Muffley and Major TJ Kong.
The way Coogan is able to change costumes (and hair) to seamlessly move between characters is a tribute to Foley’s direction. There are occasional video interludes to help this process along.
The plot largely follows the film. It begins with the U.S. General Ripper suffering a mental breakdown that triggers a cataclysmic chain of events, beginning with the launching of US missiles at the Soviet Union. Black comedy follows as various characters attempt to thwart the attack, but in a Kafkaesque way they are unable to do so due to the bureaucracy and culture of secrecy that has been created around the command structure, with an added splattering of incompetence.
Coogan is great in all four parts, but he is especially hilarious wheelchair-bound and titular former Nazi Dr Strangelove who is struggling to control a mechanical arm.
The ending is pretty stunning and ends on quite a high note with a rendition of ‘We’ll Meet Again’ and a bang.
The play is funny and thought-provoking, well-staged and terrifically acted. It also carries a warning, ahead of the U.S. presidential elections. Trump is often portrayed as a factor of entertainment, yet the decisions he will make, should he win, have global consequences.
