It may be more American horror than the American dream, but this revival of Sondheim's award-winning black comedy is a veritable triumph

What does an actor from Maryland have in common with a cultist from California? Or a hijacker from Philly with an Italian immigrant in New Jersey? They all wanted to kill the president of the United States. Not all succeeded, but all tried. What were their motives? What were they thinking? These psychological threads are explored in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Tony Award-winning musical Assassins, which sees a welcome return to the stage at Chichester Festival Theatre.

In this stunning reimagining by director Polly Findlay, the theatre's arena is used to maximum effect. Designer Lizzie Clachan has glitzy red, white and blue stars and stripes everywhere, with a version of the Oval Office at the centre, flanked by huge screens that project images, news footage and more. Below is the orchestra, the musicians crowned with all-American baseball caps. The atmosphere is celebratory. We’re at a political rally compered by the Proprietor (Peter Forbes), a Trumpian figure with a glittering bowtie playing as much to the media (Lizzy Connolly, Liam Tamne and Samuel Thomas) as to the assortment of misfits he summons from around the vast auditorium, thrusting guns into eagerly outstretched hands.

The assertion in the first number, ‘Everybody’s Got the Right to be Happy’, is ironic given that the right to bear guns is written into the Constitution and mass shootings plague the news with increasing frequency. "Hey pal, don’t despair," sings the Proprietor, "c’mon and shoot a president." The dark humour of the show, which premiered in 1990, is just one of many exceptional aspects. Other standouts include its subject matter and the exploration of a desperate and disturbed mindset, as well as its music, which reflects a bevy of American styles, from bluegrass to gospel.

Gathered on a red carpet centre-stage are our 'stars' of the show and each gets their moment to shine. John Wilkes Booth (Danny Mac), who murdered Abraham Lincoln in 1865, is the prototype successful assassin, while Charles Guiteau (Harry Hepple), who was hanged for the murder of James Garfield in 1881, sings one of the score's darkest songs, 'I am Going to the Lordy’, as he bounds up the steps of attractively-lit gallows and thrusts his head through the noose.

Seven more stories unfold, allowing the assassins to interact, argue and egg each other on. Among the better-known are the only two women ever to make an attempt on a president's life: Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme (Carly Mercedes Dyer), avid follower of cult leader and mass-murderer Charles Manson, and FBI informant Sara Jane Moore (Amy Booth-Steel). Their target? Gerald Ford in 1975. In reality, the attacks were unconnected, but here they get a chance to cosy up on a park bench in a sort of double act.

The most familiar are John Hinckley (Jack Shalloo), certified insane for his unsuccessful attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981 "to impress film star Jodie Foster"; and Lee Harvey Oswald (Samuel Thomas), killer of John F Kennedy in 1963, who hesitates as he's urged onto the windowsill to take aim. Black-and-white newsreel footage plays simultaneously on the screens. I shudder with the recall.

Some may think it distasteful to make light of such a sombre topic, but the sharp writing – performed by an excellent cast – is testament to Assassins' enduring success. Whether you love or hate the over-the-top carnival that is politics, there’s so much here that is chillingly, thrillingly relevant today.

By Judi Herman

Photos by Johan Persson

Assassins runs until Saturday 24 June. 7.30pm, 2.30pm (Wed & Sat only). From £10. Chichester Festival Theatre, PO19 6AP. 01243 781 312. cft.org.uk