Meryl Streep's spot on impersonation of Donald Trump has the critics raving.

Meryl Streep proved she could play a right-wing pollie when she embodied the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, but that role pales in comparison to her most recent turn as US presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

Literally. She slathered herself in fake tan for it, she was bright orange.

The three-time Oscar winner and staunch Hillary supporter also donned a fat suit, a red tie and an unmistakable hairpiece when she premiered her Trump impression at the annual Shakespeare in the Park Public Theater Gala in New York on Monday.

The crowd loved it, as did the critics; the New York Times said Streep was a “more than credible version of the presumptive Republican nominee, down to the pursed lips and low-hanging belly. She got the braggadocio-inflected voice, too, even while singing.”

Videos of her on stage with her Mama Mia co-star Christine Baranski has been circulating widely on Twitter:

Apparently, even the event organisers were surprised by how spot-on the act was.

“Utterly her idea, beginning to end,” artistic director Oskar Eustis, said after the show.

“There were skeptics, there were doubters, but one of those skeptics was not Meryl Streep. She was absolutely sure she could do it. None of us had seen her in costume or make up, till she walked out tonight.”

Streep sang a slightly tweaked version of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”, a song from the musical “Kiss Me, Kate”, which is traditionally a duet by two men about picking up women.

She made it about female voters. More specifically, why they can’t stand Trump:

“We could do a deal — you’ll let me know — why it is all the women say no?”

Give yourself a round of applause Meryl.

Source: Getty