TV star Debra Stephenson to appear in Worthing

Party Games! is set in the UK in 2026. John Waggner, newly elected leader of the hastily formed centrist One Nation Party. He presides over a hung parliament, a discontented electorate and striking cheesemakers. Debra Stephenson plays party Deputy Leader, Lisa Williams.

What can audiences expect when they come to see the show?

It's a fun night out and a very light-hearted yet thought-provoking political satire. It's written by Michael McManus, who was a political aide while Margaret Thatcher and John Major were in office and was an advisor to several UK ministers in the 90s. So he has a lot of experience of the inner workings.

Who do you play in it and what is her role in the story?

Lisa Williams is Deputy Leader of the newly-formed One Nation Party in 2026. She's a very ambitious politician during a rather shambolic romp through the election process, where they're trying to get to the top position and get full control amidst all the chaos of not winning a full majority.

Can you relate to Lisa in any way?

I think I'm very different to her in a lot of ways. Obviously I'm not in politics and I don’t necessarily share all her opinions. Also I'm not a particularly competitive or ambitious person who always needs to be in control of what's going on, whereas Lisa is a little bit like that. However, I warm to the character as her heart is in the right place and on the whole she is motivated towards making the country better for everybody - rather than pure self-ambition. Let’s face it, a lot of the more successful politicians are completely self-serving, aren't they?!

Is she based on anyone in particular?

I think she is perhaps a bit like Angela Rayner, Lisa Nandy or Jess Phillips. There are echoes of real people in some of the other characters in the play too - such as Boris Johnson in the character that Matthew plays. But it's a fantasy Boris. It's the Boris that we perhaps wish he was - this cuddly, benign buffoon of a person. Surface Boris, if you like. What's lovely about this character is that we're not getting any dark undertones with him. There's no malevolence to him.

Do you think you'd be any good in political office?

Not at all! You really need to be so articulate the whole time, which I'm not. And there's no room for any kind of forgetfulness! You might have really strong feelings, your heart's in the right place and your motivations are all correct but if you can't remember the facts you don't want to do a Pretty Patel and get your numbers all muddled up!

What do you see as the key themes?

The play raises some thought-provoking questions about the two party system and what it would mean to move beyond that.

The play looks at political and moral values and questions our whole system of politics, including the fact that we have a Royal Family and that we have the House of Lords and the checks and balances they are supposed to offer. It’s also highlighting the potential impact of technocratic surveillance. Overall I would say it’s questioning whether politics in this country needs to change and if so, how? It looks at potential dangers of populism versus maintaining the status quo and the danger that that in itself may keep us locked into a situation that is worsening. The play comes to its own conclusions - but I don’t feel that it’s telling you what to think. I don’t think we can all expect to agree on everything but it’s essential this day and age to be awake and politically engaged.

Do you have any predictions about what living in the UK might be like in a couple of years' time?

Well, unfortunately we seem to stay pretty much on the same trajectory no matter what party is currently supposedly in charge.

One of the biggest issues in recent times however was obviously Brexit, which is mentioned in the play. You might think “That ship has sailed' but there is talk that a new leadership might try to reverse it, so in that way it’s still relevant. It’s still very much a divisive subject. So who knows, we might expect to be be going through that turmoil again, on top of everything else!

What's your take on all the speculation about the Royal Family?

I feel we’re on shaky ground when it comes to the Royals as the landscape keeps changing but it’s important to note that this is not a topical play and anything in the script is purely hypothetical. It’s a fantasy about what could happen if a new party was formed. Things could go in many different directions. This is a specific scenario the writer has explored.

It's a brand new play. Is it exciting for you to originate a character?

Absolutely. One of my motivations for doing this play was because when I was at drama school we got the first editions of plays published by Samuel French and they would have the name of the original cast at the front. I thought 'Wouldn't it be wonderful to have your name in one of these books?' Now here I am as an original cast member, which is lovely. And I think that I'm in good company with the rest of the cast, including Matthew Cottle - who is so good in The Windsors. I'm a massive fan of The Windsors and I think the writing here is not in a dissimilar vein to that show. I also think people who watched Dead Ringers or who now listen to it on Radio 4 will like this play. It's got quite a broad appeal.

What have been your favourite stage roles over the years?

I really enjoyed doing The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, the Neil Simon play, at St Helens. I got to play three different characters, which really kept me on my toes. It was a farce, so there was a lot of running around, running off, getting changed and running back on as someone else. I really liked that. The crazier the better for me.

You've done lots of TV. Do you have any highlights?

When I was younger I did a Catherine Cookson adaptation called A Dinner of Herbs which I really, really loved. It was a period drama, which I don't often get to do, and it was all galloping around on horseback, wearing corsets, being jilted at the altar and being shot. Bad Girls is the one that everybody remembers and everybody talks about still. But it's the more obscure ones that I often like, like the one-off Young Hyacinth. You never get bored on things like that. Anything that you do for a long time, like Coronation Street, you've kind of had enough of it after a short while. That's another reason I wanted to do this play, because it actually doesn't run very long. You have to admire actors who spend a year or more in the West End!

What are you most looking forward to about taking this play around the country?

I've toured a lot with my one-woman show and I love that. I never tire of doing it because my act changes when new things happen or new celebrities come onto the scene, or the political landscape changes and I add new politicians. But I love working with other people. I always love working with a cast because it can get a bit lonely on the road on your own. I do work with a musician friend of mine who I get on very well with but there's something about actors where you know how to gel. I trained at Manchester Metropolitan University's School of Theatre and when you train you learn how to break down barriers with other people. You have a fast-track way of becoming really close, so being part of a close-knit cast is always really nice.

The tour calls at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing. Does it have any significance for you?

I've reached out to the other two girls in the cast to see if they want to share accommodation and we've got this really fabulous Airbnb flat that's got a sea view. So we're all quite excited about that. It's going to be really nice having a girly time with new girlfriends. They're a bit younger than me. I'm the older one but I think it will be fun and I love making new friends.

Party Games! runs at the Connaught Theatre from Wednesday 12th - Saturday 15th June. Tickets can be booked at wtm.uk