Elliot Cowan will play Donald Trump in the UK premiere of Stefano Massini's play Donald, running at the Ustinov Studio in Bath this autumn. The production, adapted and directed by double Olivier Award winner Sean Foley, begins previews on 6 November and runs through 5 December, with a press night on 17 November.

Cowan is joined by Oscar Batterham and Jo Herbert, both playing multiple characters drawn from Trump's life. The three-handed staging continues the Ustinov Studio's pattern of intimate, actor-driven productions in its compact space at the Theatre Royal Bath. What's On Stage

Massini's play traces Trump's career before his entry into politics — property development, golf courses, hotels, media ventures and reality television. It is the same writer whose The Lehman Trilogy became an international success, staged across multiple countries and translated into several languages. Massini is also the only Italian writer to have received a Tony Award.

The UK premiere was first announced on 27 February 2026, with the cast confirmed on 29 July.

For audiences who know The Lehman Trilogy — Sam Mendes's production of that play ran at the National Theatre before transferring to the West End and Broadway — Donald represents a companion piece of sorts: another sweeping, single-figure study from Massini, this time turning from finance to real estate and celebrity. Whether it follows the same path from regional premiere to wider stages remains, as ever, a matter of box office and critical reception rather than announcement.

The Ustinov Studio, the smaller of the Theatre Royal Bath's two spaces, has built a reputation for programming new and international work alongside its more mainstream main-house fare. Foley's involvement brings a director with West End credentials — his Olivier wins span comedy and drama — to a script that demands a performer capable of holding a stage for an extended solo narrative threaded with ensemble doubling.

Tickets and further booking details are available through the Theatre Royal Bath website.