Meet Chastity Quirke, a preppy sorority girl turned White House receptionist, the brilliant creation of writer Leigh Douglas. In this bold political satire, Douglas also delivers an outstanding performance, balancing Chastity’s all-American bubbly exterior with her relentless drive to reach the top (also playing a number of incidental characters with precision and flair). The satire cuts deep, exploring how women fight to survive in male-dominated conservative spaces and how they may feel obliged to make moral compromises along the way. In the final act, the satire evolves into something darker and more unsettlingly political, and Douglas handles the shift with remarkable ease. Funny, frightening, and disturbingly prescient, ROTUS is a stand-out piece of theatre from a talent to watch.

Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Sive Lawrie]