As the general election campaign gathers steam, a new Prime Minister has already been elected in Birmingham.
A man called Michael Goodlad will enter Number 10 – but on stage in the new play Feed The Beast.
The play, which receives its world premiere at Birmingham Rep, asks the central question: In a world where personality not policies holds sway, what sort of politicians do we want?
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Feed The Beast concentrates on the rocky relations between politicians and the press during Michael’s first 100 days in power.
It was written by Steve Thompson as a direct result of the Leveson Inquiry.
He started watching it every day with his daughter because his wife, barrister Lorna Skinner, was one of the legal team for News International.
But he became fascinated by the characters giving evidence, in particular the fact that four Prime Ministers appeared to reveal their relationships with the media.
University of Warwick graduate Steve, who has also written for BBC1’s Sherlock and Doctor Who, says: “I watched the Leveson Inquiry every day, from start to finish, as our one-year-old daughter wanted to watch her mum on screen. We have five children, aged from one to 15.
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“It was extraordinary that four Prime Ministers gave evidence at a public inquiry, which has never happened before.
“Two, Tony Blair and David Cameron, had been deified by the press and two, John Major and Gordon Brown, had been destroyed by the press and gave fascinating evidence.
“Both of them decided not to engage with the media at all and they suffered for it.
“I’m not a Conservative but I have to say I really admired John Major when he gave evidence. He gave reasoned, clever arguments and made a lot of sense, talking about what a hard time he was given by the media.
“We live in a world where personality, not policies, is everything.
“We certainly learned that with the first TV debate. Ed Miliband has been considered odd but came across well in the TV debate and was given a bump in the polls.
“I thought Miliband was least bad at handling Jeremy Paxman’s very combative questions. David Cameron looked more ill at ease with the grilling.
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“It’s important to ask questions. What do you want from your politicians? Are you voting for personalities or people who can do the job? That’s the main question, and the one I hope people will go away from the play thinking about.”
Feed The Beast features Casualty star Gerald Kyd as new PM Michael Goodlad, with former EastEnder Kacey Ainsworth as Sally, his chief of staff.
He vows not to court the press with charm offensives. But when his family’s private life looks set to hit the headlines, his press secretary advises: “Feed the beast before it turns on you.” Can Michael keep politics centre stage or will he become the story?
Steve, 47, says: “Feed the Beast is one of those plays that had to be written. The tenure of one Prime minister has a natural architecture so I focused on that.
“I did a lot of reading, especially of political memoirs, finding out what goes on in the corridors of power, and that fascinates me.
“One of the most extraordinary things is that, unlike America which has the Oval Office, there is no Prime Ministerial office in Downing Street. He just has to find the best room and squat there. I think that’s a very telling symbol of what we think of our Prime Ministers.
“Also I found the collisions of work and home life interesting, as there are no provisions at all for kids at Number 10.
“I avidly watch Question Time and Newsnight and what is evident is what a low opinion the public holds of politicians.
“But I do like the Prime Minister I created. I would want to vote for Michael Goodlad if he existed, I think he’s rather good. It’s a terrible shame that he’s not going to succeed, though.
“He yearns for a time 30 years ago when it was possible to get away with not going on television.
“I have worked several times with the Rep’s artistic director Roxana Silbert and she commissioned me to do this for the theatre.
“I like the Rep enormously, it has a great vibe to it and it’s a fantastic resource.”
Steve knows the Midlands because he studied mathematics at the University of Warwick.
“Though it was clear that that wasn’t where my heart really lay.
“In my third year, I told my tutor, Professor Ian Stewart that I was a bit bored with Maths and could I do English instead. And they were kind enough to let me.
“So I took fewer maths classes and also studied Marlowe and Shakespeare in the English department.
“I graduated in Maths but I think I was always destined to become a writer.
“Warwick is a wonderful place, I loved it.
“When I graduated I became head of maths at the private Tiffin Boys School in Kingston-upon-Thames. Then I left to become a full-time dad and house husband to our children because my wife was earning much more money than me.
“Then I became a writer.”
Steve is currently writing Jericho, a period drama for ITV for next year set in Yorkshire in the 1870s.
Feed The Beat runs at Birmingham Rep from April 16 – May 2.