Reviews

Prior to the performance Jayne Lawless' Tunnel art installation was unveiled outside the entrance to Ipswich's New Wolsey Theatre. As local Labour and LibDem councillors walked through it, it's unlikely they had any thoughts of it being a tunnel of love for Maggie. Several were heard to express anxiety about a musical about the politician who inspired as much hatred as admiration during her 11 years as Prime Minister.

I had some trepidation myself and I thought we might be in for two hours of anti-Tory rant. The play started in the 1978/9 'Winter of Discontent' with placard wielding strikers. However, the real tone of the show was set as Sarah Thom emerged from a giant handbag as Maggie The Narrator and immediately got down to some audience interaction by asking us if we voted for her (about a 50/50 split, I'd say) and goading those who hadn't that we "couldn't keep away!"

Maggie with Ronald Reagan

She also admitted that in her early years she "wasn't very sexy, was I?" setting a level of self-deprecation and comedy that I don't recall from Margaret Hilda herself.

Comedy songs have to be very good to work, but I needn't have worried. Jill Dowse's lyrics for "She Was Only A Grocer's Daughter" and "Cabinet Shuffle" being quite sharp. During the interval the theatre pumped out period pieces such as The Specials' "Ghost Town" and The Jam's "Town Called Malice" to great effect.

The show is a chance for Maggie to explain her philosophy and policies but not without criticism from characters representing figures such as miners and opposition politicians who get to explain their viewpoint as well. The show also portays Maggie as becoming a sort of megalomaniac in her third term - ignoring her colleagues' fears about the poll tax and Europe splitting the party.

If that makes it sound all a bit worthy we were also subjected to the cabinet being portayed as her lapdogs - complete with Cecil Parkinson humping Maggie's leg. It reminded me very much of the Spitting Image version of cabinet meetings where all the men are subservient idiots. In fact, the audience gets berated for much of the time as well - particularly when Maggie appears after the interval and picks on individuals with some memorable put-downs.

The Prime of Margaret Hilda

Chilean dictator General Pinochet was portrayed as her mentor and described as 'a top class magician' - presumably alluding to his ability to make opponents disappear. 'Maggie' also taunts the current PM about Iraq/Afghanistan by describing how the Falklands was a war which "worked for me, Tony!"

The cast is all female, apart from Duncan Chave as Crawfie who provides musical accompaniment. We're treated (?) to nine different Maggies, a Denis Thatcher, a Ronald Reagan and a Neil Kinnock who frankly didn't have a very convincing Kinnock accent.

It's a great night out whatever your political hue. I entered the theatre not expecting much but left convinced in the character of Maggie - rather the reverse of the Iron Lady's term in 10, Downing Street you might say.

Thatcher: The Musical runs at the New Wolsey Theatre 6th-10th March 2007. Click on the right for a picture gallery and interview about the Tunnel artwork>>