Dead Sheep, Park 200, theatre review: Spitting Image's Steve Nallon is spot on as the Iron Lady

Jonathan Maitland's debut play is a timely political drama, just weeks before the general election, about the end of the Thatcher era
Spot on: former Spitting Image star Steve Nallon as Margaret Thatcher (Picture: Darren Bell)
Fiona Mountford9 May 2015

One month before a general election is a ripe time to stage political drama, not least a piece that details the end of a premiership. It’s the Thatcher era that is drawing to a close in Jonathan Maitland’s enthusiastic but uneven debut drama, as Geoffrey Howe, previously Mrs T’s loyal lieutenant, makes an astonishing resignation speech that sounds the death knell for her 11 years at the helm.

The play is unashamedly on the side of Howe (James Wilby, in an impressive turn of beleaguered decency). We see him contented in the domestic sphere, with his feisty but supportive wife Elspeth (Jill Baker, well cast), whereas the Iron Lady (former Spitting Image impressionist Steve Nallon) glides icily around the political arena only. Nallon’s voice is, as expected, spot on; the two syllables of “Geoffrey” begin to drip with condescension as Howe and Thatcher clash increasingly over Europe.

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1/50

Three other cast members play multiple roles with affability, but there’s a slightly raggedy edge to proceedings in Ian Talbot’s good-natured production. The drama feels under-nourished on occasion; James Graham’s recent epoch-defining political play This House this is not.

Until May 9 (020 7870 6876, parktheatre.co.uk)

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