The 47th is a play by Mike Bartlett. It tells a speculative account of a political showdown in the 2024 Presidential election between Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Much like Bartlett's previous speculative fiction play, King Charles III, the work is structured like a play by William Shakespeare and written in Iambic Pentameter.
The play opened at The Old Vic in London on March 29, 2022 in a production starring Bertie Carvel as Trump and Tamara Tunie as Harris.
Tropes associated with The 47th include:
- Ambiguous Ending: It is unknown whether Ivanka had a hand in her father's death, but the final scene certainly hints towards it.
- Bait-and-Switch; The militant Trump supporters reveal they know there is a reporter in their midst, causing Charlie Takashi to start sweating; only for a BBC reporter to be pulled out of their number.
- Unlike in the source material, Trump gives his inheritance to the child who refuses to toady to him.
- Country Matters: Trump drops the word in an early speech.
- Dirty Old Man: The last time Trump sees Ivanka in the play, he kisses her on the mouth.
- Dragon Ascendant: Ivanka, following her father's death.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Harris is portrayed as feeling this way when serving as Vice President under Joe Biden.
- Eye Scream: Charlie has his eyes ripped out by militant Trump supporters.
- Fatal Flaw: For Donald, it's Pride, refusing to call for assistance and accept his weakness in hospital ultimately contributes to his fatal heart attack.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Rosie Takashi allows herself to be killed in order to assist in an assassination attempt on Trump.
- Middle Child Syndrome: Eric is portrayed as The Ditz, falling asleep during a conversation with his family.
- More Deadly Than the Male: Kamala quickly shows herself as this in relation to Biden, but at the close of the play she realises that Ivanka is example of this too.
- Noodle Incident: We never find out what Trump knows about Jill, but it is enough to cause Biden to resign.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Imagery from the January 6th insurrection is invoked on multiple occasions, including an appearance by the QAnon Shaman as a character.
- Shout-Out to Shakespeare: Naturally. Early in the play, Trump meets with three of his children to talk about the family legacy, bringing to mind King Lear, as does the blinding of Charlie Takahashi. Joe Biden suffers from sleepwalking nightmare, in the style of Lady Macbeth from Macbeth, whilst Trump's victory over Ted Cruz is presented much in the same way as Mark Antony's Ides of March speech in Julius Caesar.
- Villain Protagonist: Trump, much in the style of Richard III.
