Aliya Al-Hassan reviews a sparkling revival of Moira Buffini’s brilliant play about what may have passed between the Iron Lady and the Monarch...
OUR VERDICT
We don’t know, or will ever know, what happened at the weekly meetings between the Queen and Margaret Thatcher. Moira Buffini’s award-winning play Handbagged explores these two contrasting and formidable women and what may have passed between them over the 11 years that Thatcher was in office, in an excellent revival at the Hampton Hill Playhouse this week.
Buffini sets the narrative using an older and younger Queen, respectively known as Q and Liz, and an older and younger Thatcher, identified as T and Mags. Between them, and two other actors who play 17 other roles, ranging from Ronald Reagan to Rupert Murdoch, we move from Thatcher’s election in 1979 to her ousting from office 11 years later.
In an excellent cast, Jane Marcus and Helen Geldert are outstanding as T and Mags respectively. They look remarkably similar, have great synergy and mirror each other in their movement. Both master the distinctive and dogmatic tone of Thatcher, whilst never coming across as if performing a caricature. The audience feels as though they get to know Thatcher’s motivations and intentions, from her attitudes to society through to how her father inspired her.
Heather Stockwell is a wonderful Liz, capturing the clipped tone and elegant poise of the younger Queen very well. Stockwell also relished some of the play’s best lines with cheeky asides and clever ripostes. Tracy Frankson’s Q has somewhat flatter vowels but positions herself well in the quartet. Both are believable and very human women with a distinct social conscience.
Lizzie Lattimore and Jim Trimmer both demonstrate great skill in jumping between a multitude of characters. They excel as Ronald and Nancy Reagan, but also provide much of the humour as they chat between themselves or interrupt the other actors.
Director Ben Clare handles Buffini’s changes in tone adeptly; from the moments of outright comedy to sections of painful reflection such as when the Queen hears of Lord Mountbatten’s murder and Thatcher’s reaction to the Grand Hotel bombing in Brighton.
The decision to use television archive clips from the period as markers between scenes is an inspired touch and reminds the audience of the tone, music and culture of the time. Patrick Troughton’s set design cleverly fits in the detailed Queen’s reception room on one side and uses a construction of platforms on the other.
Zoe Harvey-Lee’s costumes are pitch-perfect, with two-piece suits, brooches and, of course, very appropriate handbags. Hair is huge and immovable and the look of the whole production is very well considered.
John Pyle’s sound evokes everything from cheering delegates at party conference to the explosion of the Brighton bomb, but the levels sometimes threaten to drown out the actors on stage.
This is a slick and very professional production that immerses you from start to finish.
Venue: Hampton Hill Theatre
Dates: Sat 18 May – Fri 24 May (£12.00 & £16.00)