1008 Thatcher, the Musical reviewed (and revised)

Because of a frustrating day of more downs than ups I was not in the mood for any form of a theatre in the evening. An account of what happened during the day is covered my AOl Blog ( to be added when the item is located).

I had become anxious about several matters, and was tired having no nap earlier (26.02.2007). I has also undertaken no preparations regarding the company or type the production, except that it was a musical about the life of Lady Thatcher, called Thatcher. I was going to the first performance at the refurbished Newcastle Playhouse

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The Newcastle Playhouse had been transformed after a long closure, reopening the previous year and one change is that the entrance was now opposite the Student Union Building of Newcastle University, involving a climb of several flights of stairs, either from the Metro station or the car park. There are two car park level entrances but one is for performers and theatre staff and the other had only been used as a safety door. On my visit on Saturday for Lypsynch, using the Metro, I noticed a sign which said that the car park level door could be used as an entrance, so on the evening taking the car, I used this entrance and the lift.

Although it was the first evening the foyer and theatre restaurant and bars were quiet and there were only a handful of others in auditorium. I struck up conversation with an attendant who said that some 200 were anticipated about half full. It was quickly evident that 95% of these were students in groups who knew each other. I appeared to be about thirty years older than everyone else, something I had in common with the actors. For many in the audience Thatcher was already history.
I met a Member of the Theatre Management in the lift during the interval and commented that perhaps the political fans of Lady Thatcher were staying away because they anticipated a negative portrait, while those hostile were not likely to want to be reminded of all the things which made them so angry during her 10 years of Premiership. She said that there would be a more mixed audience over the week so it appeared their had been some kind of special offer issued to the two Universities in the city.

The style of the production was revealed in the free programme notes which listed all the characters in the production, (with one exception) as Margaret Thatcher in her various phases as young woman through to the present day.

The first reactions were not positive because the portrait appeared more of a populist caricature than the clever woman who captured a political party from backward looking men and who had earned the respect of political opponents even though they hated her policies. This had been said to me by leading members of the national Labour Party Parliamentary team prior to the 1990’s
The “hit” list against her was comprehensive beginning with her call for unity and healing divides made on winning the first General Election and then alienating almost everyone, including Members of her own cabinet and Party.

I met Thatcher only once in passing when she the guest of honour at the annual dinner of the Association of Director of Social Services when I think she was the Minister of Education although she may have become the Tory Party Leader in opposition. I have the information somewhere. I was advised afterward that she was unenthusiastic about the role of social workers and the new service, wanting to expand the role of the private and voluntary sectors. Just how far she was determined to make these pubic policy, I, and my colleagues, were not to find out until 1979.

In the play her passion against all aspects of communism and socialism was covered. In 1970 the man who was to become her chief advisor, Sir Keith Joseph, had been my dinner guest at the first conference of the Family and Child Care Section of the British Association of Social Workers, and on learning of my background and political learning advised that I should have taken my protests to Russia to which I had responded that when the revolution came I suspected we would both be among those asked to stand against the wall to be shot. Three years after this discussion, in the Autumn of 1973, Sir Keith was the Minister of Social Services in the Heath Government and was required to approve my appointment as the First Director of Social Services at South Tyneside. I took up the appointment officially in April 2004, although I had been full time with the authority since January as the designate chief officer. In February The Labour Party formed the National government after the General Election with a narrow majority. The political administration I was to serve comprised sixty Labour Councillors out of sixty six and the future looked good as the council effectively doubled the budget previously drafted for the new authority. In October the Labour Party won the second General Election held in that year. The rates were doubled in May 1975 with some lost of seats although this was mainly because people from South Shields had been rehoused in Jarrow and Hebburn.

Originally Sir Keith Joseph who represented the right wing of the Tory Party, supported by Margaret, was to stand against the centre left candidate, Sir William Whitelaw. When Sir Keith dropped out, Margaret replaced him and successfully became the Leader on the first ballot. She made a point of emphasising her determination to abolish the rating system when her party formed the government.

The play discussed her approach to monetarism, towards the trade unions and the Miners, the Falklands and the sinking of the Belgrano, the demolition of state controls and the ending of the independence of Local Government, the development of the private ownership of housing, her stubbornness in relation to Northern Ireland issues, her attitude to Europe and her bonding with President Ronald Regan. The disaster of the Poll Tax was highlighted and the venom towards her by sacked members of her Cabinet. Most of her famous sayings were mentioned although I could not remember afterwards if what for me was the most significant, in that she was ask of anyone not previously met, ‘Are they one of us, and you knew you had problems if the answer came back, No,
The musical brought out the reality that there was not much difference between the public persona and the private lady. As the show progressed I became more and more impressed with the style, with several individual performances, and its overall impact. The contrast with Lypsynch was striking where nothing was as good as the opening aria and first act, but with Thatcher there was a gradual winding up with a memorable song marking an aging self assessment of Lady Thatcher before a splendid finale. The audience response at curtain call was boisterous which appeared to be genuinely enjoyed by the cast. Gone are the days of decorative safety or other curtains thought!

The authors did not miss the opportunity to contrast her reign with that of Tony Blair and contemporary politicians and politics. The most effective point was that she had responded to an attack in the Falklands rather than initiating one. However where the work had its greatest impact on the audience was to remind them of how effective her fundamental political positions have been, with the defeat of communism and socialism, the defeat and role change of the trade unions and the promotion of corporate capitalism as the savour of states developed, and underdeveloped.

At one point in the performance Lady Thatcher also moved into the audience to challenge the young people with her views. I wondered what the composition of the audience would be like during the rest of the week and how they would react to the show overall as well as responded when she came into the audience. I was tempted to go again but did not do so.

It could be argued that it was her policies which led directly to the near collapse of the banking system and capitalism.