The City Adventurers headed over to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch to see Moira Buffini’s Handbagged. This play is an enteraining fly-on-the-wall look at what might have happened when Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher came face-to-face in the privacy of the palace.
No-one can know what they really said but this gives a idea of some of their possible discussions. It also asks the questions did the Monarch and the Iron Lady ever find a common ground and what of the legacy they each left behind?
The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch
We arrived early for a spot of pre-ordered lunch prior to the matinee of Handbagged. It had proved immensely difficult to book the lunch and we were horrified to find they had reserved our meal but not our table! So the afternoon was not off to a good start.
Luckily the show itself was fantastic and made up for the catering problems.
Handbagged
This play examines the relationship between two of the most famous women in the world during the 1980’s. It covers the full term of Mrs Thatchers premiership, from 1979 to 1990 and imagines the conversations between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher throughout their regular meetings.
The title signify’s the handbags both protagonists carry and symbolises power and influence. Handbags are used as props throughout the play.
On the face of it the ladies had a lot in common – gender, age, success, and public service – but there appears to be little warmth between them. In the play the Queen hopes she will find a girlfriend she can chat with while Mrs Thatcher remains aloof and distant. A meeting of necessity rather than a meeting of hearts and minds.
Surprisingly, there were two Mrs Thatchers and two Queens. A younger and an older version of each, who gossiped with their character to say what they were feeling about the other character. This helped convey the public facing aspect to their meetings and their private thoughts about each other. It also helped that they broke the fourth wall to address the audience with their comments.
The Ensemble cast were fantastic. In addition to the four actresses, special mention should go to the male actors for taking on a variety of roles. Some more obnoxious than others. It was cleverly written that the actors balked at playing some characters, while fought to play others.
The Thatcher Era ran from 1979 until 1990 and included a number of significant world events. the Falklands War, the miners strike, etc. Much of the history was remembered, but some we, the audience, had forgotten. A couple of us had to look up items when we got home, such as the Neil Kinnock’s ‘I warn you’ prophecy speech. And while the news and politics were being discussed, there was a thread of humour running throughout the play.
We all left the theatre remarking how wonderful the production had been and how much we had enjoyed the afternoon.
Moira Buffini’s Handbagged is recommended
Handbagged by Moira Buffini is touring as part of the Theatre Nation Partnerships network. Tour dates can be found here https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/whats-on/handbagged/#tour-dates
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