Maggie's End - Shaw Theatre
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
TO MARK the 25th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike (March 12, 1984 – March 3, 1995), one of the most controversial and cutting edge plays of the decade, Maggie’s End, will be performed at London’s Shaw Theatre – from April 6 to April 18, 2009.
Written by internationally acclaimed playwrights Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood, Maggie’s End premiered at Durham’s Gala Theatre in October 2007, and attracted nearly 2,000 people to its sell-out performances.
The play, a dark comedy that begins with the death of Margaret Thatcher, was inspired by press reports that the New Labour government is making plans to give Baroness Thatcher a state funeral when she dies.
As Wood explained: “When we first heard these reports we thought that they were a bit of political kite-flying and that the idea would be quietly buried but they’ve since re-surfaced.
“There’s little doubt that most Labour supporters would see a state funeral for Margaret Thatcher as the ultimate betrayal by their party and that to acknowledge her in this way would re-open many of the sores of the 1980s.
“We wanted to explore what the possible repercussions of this could be, particularly in the north of England, where many communities were decimated during the Thatcher years.
“In the play, a former militant campaigner’s sense of outrage over the betrayal brings him into conflict with his only daughter, who has risen through the ranks to become a senior minister in the New Labour government, and threatens to destroy his family.”
And he continued: “Despite Mrs Thatcher’s death being the catalyst for the play, Maggie’s End is really about the legacy of Thatcherism and examines how far the New Labour government has travelled from its traditional roots.”
Maggie’s End is sponsored by NUM North East Area, the RMT, UNITE and the GMB. And Davey Hopper, NUM North East Area secretary, said: “Maggie’s End is a great play and we wanted to bring it to the capital. The British public should never forget the despicable role the Thatcher government played in destroying mining communities as well as the shipyards, steel mills and other industries.”
To that he added, “We got fantastic help from London-based miners support groups during the strike and we look forward to seeing everyone involved with them again.”
The production will be directed by Jack Milner.
Tickets: £15 – £11.
For tickets call the box office on 0871 594 3123 or visit the website.