Next week at The Marlborough, New York collective Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir will be making their next stop on their latest UK tour: Trump Depression Hotline.
The radical community of activists and performers is based in New York but now has members from all continents except Antarctica – “which we’re working on”, they add. Over the past 15 years, they have been creating work that addresses the “devils” of consumerism and militarism, through their televangelist-style pastiche. From outlandish public demonstrations – reminiscent of those by PETA – to gospel singing and YouTube sermons, the group adopt and satirise the hyperbole of the church to address important global issues with comic absurdity.
Work by Reverend Billy and his choir falls into four major categories: Earth Justice, Stop Shopping First Amendment & Neighbourhood Defense, and Everything Else. Across these, they demonstrate a fierce opposition to contemporary America, its government and Capitalist institutions, instead championing “community, life and imagination”.
With the rise to power of Donald Trump, the words and artwork Reverend Billy and his choir have to share perhaps becomes more important than ever. This performance considers the President the epitome of rampant hyper-capitalism and commercialism, and takes that as a starting point for a night of comedy, music and eccentricity.
The community blur the lines between art and activism, appearing at parades, boycotts and protests, as well as putting out creative online content and appearing at venues such as The Marlborough. As such audiences should expect high energy, ferocious passion and biting hilarity.
This is a one off showing at The Marlborough at 7:30pm on Tuesday 24 October. This performance will be BSL interpreted, and the theatre has a hearing loop installed. You can find out more about access to this performance on The Marlborough’s website.
Tickets for this show are now SOLD OUT.
Featured Image: John Quilty
