Handbagged – Theatr Clwyd

Written by Moira Buffini, we are taken back between 1979 and 1990 during Margaret Thatcher’s three terms as Prime Minister and her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth 2^nd.

Theatr Weston is in the round for this performance with the stage in the centre. A raised round stage with cleverly laid props and costume pieces laid on stands around the lower part of the stage, those of which are used throughout the show by the two male cast members to help transform them in to numerous characters with a lot of help from our imagination.

The play starts with Alexandra Mathie entering the stage waiting for one of the men to bring her a chair. She doesn’t need a chair, but she doesn’t want them to know that. She is followed closely by Meriel Scholfield as Queen Elizabeth 2^nd, dragging a chair behind her and offering it to Mrs Thatcher to sit down, who point blank refuses and this is where we see the beginning of their stiff upper lip and stubbornness.

As the two start to look back at their first weekly meeting we are introduced to young Queen Elizabeth 2^nd played by Liz Garland and young Margaret Thatcher played by Pandora Clifford. I did wonder how this was going to work, having 2 people playing the same person at different stages of their lives at the same time but director Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder has done a fantastic job with staging and with the fantastic writing, it worked extremely well. We got to see the action being played out in front of us but also the “real” thoughts being spoken by the older versions of the two.

We are also treated to two male cast members, who play a plethora of characters. Simon Darwen and Deven Modha bring so much humour and diversity to the piece, switching at a moments notice from palace footmen to Neil Kinnock, Denis Thatcher to Gerry Adams to name but a few. The most comic relief comes from Darwen as Ronald Regan and Modha as first lady Nancy Regan. It’s camp and hilarious while still talking about some serious subjects.

While the story continues, there are some subjects that the Queen and Margaret Thatcher try to skip past and the two male actors (not in a particular character) 77stop these important subjects being brushed under the carpet, with subjects like the miner strikes, the Toxteth Riots and the Poll tax protests. This is where we notice how clever the writing is, that it is not all about the positive things these women did, but the awful things that happened that caused disrupt, poverty and hurt to thousands across the country.

I thought a very poignant scene was the opening of act two when the male actors were just talking about “what they were saying in the dressing room” when it was not about the story as such but about the real feelings, how that party at the time brought in section 28 and silenced a whole generation, basically making their lives worthless and secretive.

The costumes are perfect of the time, you knew exactly who the people were, with fantastic wigs and the cast held themselves perfectly.

Designer Katie Scott has thought about everything with this set, allowing the cast to be seen while on the raised stage but also allowing them to interact with the audience and walk around on the ground. There is a great lighting piece above the stage with the lights looking like camera flashes which are used when the press are photographing them. All separate and making it feel like paparazzi all over.

Lighting was simple but used extremely well, picking out all the important areas and drawing the eye to where needed. The cast projected extremely well and clear so every word could be heard which is sometimes difficult in a play without microphones.

Handbagged is a fantastic mix of history and comedy with a phenomenal cast who take us on a great journey.

Running at Theatr Clwyd until Saturday 26^th September with tickets available at www.theatrclwyd.com  

Reviewer: Damian Riverol

Reviewed: 15^th September 2026

North West End UK Rating: