Theatre / Thatcher
Smash-hit drag extravaganza ‘Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho’ comes to Bristol
With four sell-out Edinburgh Fringe runs, a glut of five-star reviews, a UK Tour and a West End run behind it, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho is a smash-hit show by any measure.
In 2023, it is returning to the stage – with a run of four dates at Tobacco Factory Theatres beginning on September 21 before a limited London run.
Created by Olivier Award-winning Jon Brittain and Matt Tedford, who also stars in the production, the show is billed as “a big gay odyssey about LGBT rights, the 80s, and disco”.
is needed now More than ever
It is 1988. On the eve of the infamous vote on Section 28, we join the Iron Lady as she finds herself lost in Soho, setting foot on a stage and becoming an accidental cabaret superstar.
Will she find herself turning after all, in time to prevent the bill passing?
Originating as a 15 minute sketch performed above a south London pub, the show has evolved into the “cult drag comedy cabaret musical extravaganza” that it is today – as well as creating regular appearances for Tedford’s Maggie in the Queen of Gameshows and Queen of Clubnights.
Brittain and Tedford’s writing laces together camp irreverence with political satire on an era characterised by extreme homophobia, alongside the emergence of the AIDS crisis – and all to a soundtrack designed to bring the house down. Along the way, audiences can expect cameos from Peter Tatchell, Jill Knight, Sir Ian McKellen and Winston Churchill, appearing in portrait form.
Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho (age recommendation 16+) is at Tobacco Factory Theatres on September 21-23 at 8pm, with an additional matinee show at 4pm on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
All photos: The Other Richard
Read more: Review: Animal, Tobacco Factory Theatres – ‘Funny, thought-provoking and relatively ground-breaking’
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