Armando Iannucci’s Pandemonium tour cancelled

...and it's all Rishi Sunak's fault

A planned tour of Armando Iannucci’s satire of the government’s Covid response has been axed because of the general election.

Pandemonium, which premiered at London’s Soho Theatre in December, was due to to kick off a UK tour at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre in September.

Producers had hoped the biting commentary on the Tories’ behaviour, featuring parodies of the likes of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak – would have proved timely in the build-up to the election, which was originally expected to be held in the autumn.

But they say Sunak’s surprise decision move to go to the polls on July 4 means the play, performed entirely in verse, would no longer have the same relevance.

Wayward Productions told The Scotsman: ‘Unfortunately, the early calling of the general election changes the context of the piece significantly. We felt strongly that the production wouldn’t work as well for audiences without an election campaign in the background.’

Iannucci’s first work for the stage, Pandemonium was a cod Shakespearean/Restoration comedy about the rule-flouting leaders racked by indecision and ill-equipped for the serious thought needed to tackle the pandemic. Read our review here.

Those who had tickets for the Edinburgh week can exchange them for another production or request a refund from the box office.

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Published: 28 Jun 2024