Trivialising the Truth and the Humiliation of Identity: Death of England: Delroy

Abstract

Death of England: Delroy, the second monologue in Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’ trilogy (Michael, Delroy, and Closing Time), debuted on November 4, 2020, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, it closed on the same night. The play depicts a complicated monologue with fragmented narration, oblique explanations, thoughts, and some dramatic dialogue. Dyer and Williams consider theatre as a means of revealing relationships, power struggles, and destructive lies of racism. In the play, the protagonist questions Britain’s island mentality and the validity of national identity, stating that he has no question that he is British but that the white people are still living on the island. Delroy confronts how he has been damaged despite his support for Boris Johnson and the accompanying Tory propaganda. He desires to confront the individuals and the nation who have lied to him. The play portrays society’s emotional, affective response to the Brexit campaign, during which people Delroy through the lens of national and racial relations and the fake news propaganda of post-truth discourse. In a more specific context, the play exposes relations destroyed by lies.

Keywords

• Post-truth
• Propaganda
• Death of England: Delroy
• Identity
• Brexit

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