Project Dictator: Or ’Why Democracy Is Overrated and I Don’t Miss It at All’

It’s time you realised that your show is a thing of the past. It’s dead. A fragment of history. This is the future and I need you to come on board.

Their choice? To die onstage - or off it.

Beautiful and bonkers - it’s the clown show about totalitarianism you never knew you needed. Rhum + Clay’s Project Dictator was informed and inspired by conversations with international artists living under authoritarian regimes. It returned for a UK tour after critically-acclaimed runs at New Diorama Theatre in April 2022, and at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2022.

Originally commissioned by New Diorama Theatre for its 10th Anniversary Season, Project Dictator was also supported using public funding from Arts Council England. This edition was published to coincide with the UK tour starting in September 2023.

Rhum + Clayis an award-winning theatre company led by co-Artistic Directors, Julian Spooner and Matt Wells. They desire to make work that ignites the audience’s imagination on regional, national, and international stages. Everything that Rhum + Clay produces is developed collaboratively; from set designers to writers, performers and sound artists, everyone is together from day one to offer opinions and build the show together. Off-stage, their education programme is an extension of that creative process, celebrating the unique skills of each participant whilst giving them tools to create better theatre, collaboratively. Their hope is that many of the workshop participants will become future collaborators.