• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Ed Fringe

Maggie Thatcher: Queen of Soho at the VAULT Festival

March 6, 2018 by Clare Richards Leave a Comment

Review of: Maggie Thatcher Queen of Soho

Reviewed by:
Rating:
5
On March 6, 2018
Last modified:March 6, 2018

Summary:

A wonderful, huge, glittering, scantily-clad middle finger to the Iron Lady

More Details

Matt Tedford. This show may be all about Margaret Thatcher, but Tedford is the genius behind it – taking the iconic, feared, legend that is Maggie T and transforms her into a glamorous, diva-rous superstar. Despite being flanked by two highly energetic men in short shorts (Nico Lennon and Ed Yelland), who display equally hilarious caricatures of a number of well-known political figures, Tedford is the only one we have eyes for.

The atmosphere is buzzing (as only the audience for a Margaret Thatcher drag show can be), needing little encouragement at an announcement of “she won’t come out unless you sing”. We raucously join in to a chorus of “In The Navy” and Dolly Parton’s “ 9 to 5”, flashing spotlights dazzling the stage and audience, and there she is. Sensible black heels, infamous blue suit, string of pearls small, small patent black handbag, and (of course) crowned with with the quintessential Thatcher wig. Dramatically, the wig decided to take on a life on its own this particular night, deciding it’s probably had enough of political drag acts and retiring to a place where elasticated headbands are less neccessary. Tedford handles it smoothly, joking “we’ve been doing this show for five years and this is the night it decides to break” with only a light bit of corpsing carrying his Thatcher persona through the crisis.

The set is simple, the main feature being a hanging glitzy “Maggie” sign, covered in glitter and drawn in the kind of bubble writing doodled across books in year 9. The show doesn’t need anything else, the larger than life characters more than enough to keep the audience entertained – although a certain talking Winston Churchill portrait deserves a special mention for being simple, yet effective and, hilarious to the point of tears.

It would be remiss of me to write about this show and not mention its key theme, Section 28, the local government act which stopped the promotion of homosexuality, mainly in schools. In Maggie Thatcher Queen of Soho Thatcher she sees the error of her ways and stops the bill (after becoming a cabaret superstar of course). Sadly in the real world, outside of the glittery bubble in the tunnels under Waterloo, this was not the case and it wasn’t repealed until 2003. However, there is something wonderful seeing the team give a huge, glittering, scantily-clad middle finger to the infamous British icon – taking the piss using a theatrical form she surely would have hated. Many love her, even more hate her, but whatever your opinion on the baroness might be, you cannot dispute that her name will live on.

Avatar

Author:

Filed Under: Featured, News Tagged With: Magaret Thatcher, Vault Festival

Join the discussion Cancel reply

NEWS / Living Record Festival of digital arts announces programme

Living Record Festival is a month-long Digital Arts Festival curating and presenting over 40 original pieces from a range of [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Open Bar on A ChristMESS CAROL

Tell us about Open Bar Theatre and also how you came about and how the name came about. OBT: Open Bar [Read More]

NEWS / Ayomide Adegun awarded The Luke Westlake Scholarship 2020

22 year old South Londoner Ayomide Adegun is currently in his 2nd year of the BA Acting course at Royal [Read More]

NEWS / Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels announced

A new play repurposed for online viewing from the creative team behind Scrounger, and the first of the Finborough Theatre’s [Read More]

NEWS / Crimes Against Christmas becomes an audio advent calendar

Typically at this time of year theatre company New Old Friends would have just finished an Autumn tour and be [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Reality TV Auditions
  • Katy Owen: LAMDA Audition (First Round)
  • Writing the Perfect Press Release
  • Katy Owen: How to Apply to Drama Schools*
  • Complicité's A Minute Too Late at the National Theatre
  • How to Applying for Arts Grants and Funding
  • Does Small to Mid Scale Theatre Touring Actually Work?
  • The Duchess of Malfi at the Almeida Theatre
  • Calling all Writers: Contributors wanted for Theatre Bubble
  • Jane Eyre at the National Theatre
  • Avatar

    Clare Richards
    Contributor

  • March 6th, 2018
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • Facebook1TweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2021 · Blue Pie Media

    Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

    Email sent!