Bertie Carvel on playing Donald Trump in new play The 47th: ‘I’m trying not to judge him’

Virgin Radio

4 Apr 2022, 10:40

Actor Bertie Carvel is taking on the role of former President Donald Trump in new production The 47th. The performance tries to imagine what could happen during the US election in 2024, and Bertie told Chris Evans during The Breakfast Show with Sky that he’s trying to detach from what we’ve already seen from the businessman-turned-politician. 

Previews for The 47th, written by Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett, began at London's Old Vic Theatre on Tuesday 29th March, and when it came to performing as the controversial figure, Bertie revealed how he has tried to separate what he thinks personally from the character he has to portray on stage. 

He told Chris: “It's deeply subjective. And I think I do have a sense of what I think of the man but I'm trying not to judge him. I'm trying to just imagine what it might feel like to be him. And then other people can judge him, the playwright can judge him, the director can judge him.”

So without giving away his true thoughts, Bertie did reveal what his research had shown him while looking into Trump for the play. He explained: “One thing I think about Mr. Trump is he's an absolutely brilliant communicator. There's a performance going on. And one of the things that the play thinks about is his relationship to audience in a play, quite literally, because he's literally there talking to an audience. But I think he's an amazing communicator, and got a real talent actually, for the performance. 

“One of the things that perhaps makes him so dangerous is his charm. I think he's incredibly charismatic. I'm not telling you anything about my own views on him. But I do think he's charming. We can laugh at Trump. And yes, people do. And I think the great danger with it is to laugh at somebody who actually is making a very serious contribution to politics that needs to be taken seriously.”

While Bertie insisted the play is ‘funny’ and ‘hilarious’, it is not considered a comedy, but does invite the audience to ‘think seriously’ about what the play is discussing. 

One of the main things that Bertie thinks about while sitting for hours in the make-up chair getting ready to embody Trump is whether the audience will believe his take on him, but the trick is to believe in yourself first.

He added: “An actor's worst nightmare is to be found out, for people to not believe you. And it's crazy, because we all know the actor is pretending. So I mean, why should you so fear it? But we really fear that an audience goes ‘I don't believe it’. And so where that starts is believing yourself, you have to convince yourself that you are who you say you are. 

“It's a strange kind of switch you have to flick inside, and you do whatever kind of work you want to do, you know, animal studies, watch videos of the person, if it's a real person, do whatever, whatever techniques. There's a million and one ways of doing it, but at the end of the day, you just have to kind of sort of close your eyes and think this is who I am, I believe it.”

The 47th is on at the Old Vic Theatre in London until 28th May. Tickets are available here. 

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky, weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.