Sir Oswald Mosely is a curious figure in British history: a veteran of the Great War turned anti-war advocate. He was also a popular and charismatic speaker who met with such varied individuals as Adolf Hitler and Mahatma Gandhi, and, above all, did more to popularise fascism in the UK than perhaps any other figure.
D R Hill’s play, Draining the Swamp, takes the audience on a whistle-stop tour through many of the significant events of his political and personal life, his increasing popularity alongside the rise of his Fascist Defence Force, the creation of the BUF and his many, many extramarital affairs.
At an hour and ten minutes, the piece feels decidedly its length, as it's almost as if it’s a character piece based around Mosely first and foremost, or whether it’s supposed to be giving us a message on the perils of supporting and promoting fascism. So much time is devoted to the vying romances of Baba, Diana and his put-upon first wife Cimmie that it’s rather surprising when the dénouement points towards a completely different message.
It’s certainly an even-handed and sympathetic portrayal of the man himself, with Hill stepping up the charm and charisma as well as showing him repeatedly hammering down about higher goals of being anti-war and seeming almost accidentally or coercively dragged into the racism and anti-semitism that marked out the BUF.
It’s certainly an entertaining and informative play, with some great moments, such as a re-enactment of his interview in The Frost Report, but there’s something lacking to bind the whole together fully. To that end, much like Mosely himself, it gradually loses the good nature of the audience and ends somewhat diminished.