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David Rasche

Louis Changchien

Kenneth Lin

Judith Kampfner

Drama on 4: Warrior Class

Warrior Class

06/11/2012

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Warrior Class

A young assemblyman is poised to become 'the Republican Obama' but his past haunts him.

A Chinese Ivy League law graduate and ardent Christian looks set to be the darling of the Republican party. A tale of backstage life in American politics, written by Kenneth Lin.

The title refers to the cut and thrust and horse-trading of the American political machine. If accepted into the ruthless game of the Warrior Class, you understand that it's about politics for politics sake. If not - you risk getting dumped and, once the apparatchiks stop working on your behalf, it's very difficult to rise back on your own.

Julius Lee is a local assemblyman who explodes onto the political scene from nowhere, makes a great speech suggesting he could be a congressional candidate and the Republican answer to Obama. The party puts down seed money to begin marketing him. They groom him to take back a seat that has been held by a Democrat for twenty years.

Julius is Chinese, Christian, an ex-marine with a Harvard law degree. He's steely and principled but he knows that 'moves' have to be made.One of the necessary steps is to make sure no skeletons from the past undermine or ruin his meteoric rise. That's where things start to unravel. There's a bitter ex college girlfriend whose description of him is not exactly appealing. She wants a favour in return for keeping quiet. 

This tale of backstage life in American politics is the work of Kenneth Lin, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. He's a political addict engaged in observing the intersection of politics, media and morality.


Music by Jon Nicholls
Sound design by Peregrine Andrews
Written by Kenneth Lin and adapted by Judith Kampfner


The play was originally produced in New York at Second Stage Theatre 2011. Developed at the South Coast Repertory.

Directed and produced by: Judith Kampfner
A Corporation for Independent Media production for BBC Radio 4.

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