Handbagged at 59e59

[dave1606]

Posted: 6/5/19 at 1:06pm

For those who don't know this is a new play as part of the Brits off Broadway festival at 59e59 theater. This play imagines what went on during the audiences between The Queen and Margret Thatcher.

I saw the first preview of this last night. I really wanted to love it. Susan Lynskey and Beth Hylton were outstanding unfortunately the play is disappointing and also has been re-written for American audiences which I found disappointing. The new references felt either forced (vague Trump references) or condescending (NHS, That’s National Health Service to you Americans, you might appreciate that!)

The play, much like The Audience was at its best showing the interplay between the Queen and  the Prime Minister. Susan Lynskey is really terrific as Thatcher, she channels her intensity so well and meanwhile Beth Hylton is a dead ringer for Claire Foy and excellent in her role. I thought that older counterparts (The Queen and Margret Thatcher have older and young counterparts) fared less well. Unfortunately the less said about the two male actors, the better. They are saddled with playing many side characters with many different accents and to very mixed results.

 Overall, the problem with the play is there doesn’t seem to be much of an opinion. We go through Wikipedia style recitation of historic events without much a viewpoint which to me is hard to imagine since Thatcher in her day always conjured up pretty intense reactions.

Overall it is a miss for me, but I did enjoy Lynskey and Hilton.