Fiona Buffini Will Direct Moira Buffini's HANDBAGGED at the New Vic Theatre

Two formidable figures - the Queen and Margaret Thatcher - are set to be reunited at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme as Fiona Buffini (The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd, New Vic Theatre) makes a welcome return to the theatre in September to direct her sister Moira's Olivier award-winning play Handbagged.

Handbagged will be the first time since The National Theatre and West End transferred production of Dinner in 2002 that Fiona Buffini has directed one of her sister's plays. Next April they will be working together on The National Theatre production of Moira's new play Manor.

Over the course of a decade, two of Britain's most iconic women meet regularly. In private. Sharing their views on what it means to be British and navigating their opposing opinions, do their smiles tell a true story?

The meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher became infamous in the '80s. In this theatrical comedy, Moira Buffini imagines their relationship, and looks at what might have happened when two of the most powerful characters of our time came face-to-face.

Sharply funny, packed with satirical humour and highly entertaining, Handbagged will make you question what you think you know about the people who lead us, and features the Monarch, the Prime Minister and a host of surrounding characters including Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Geoffrey Howe, Denis Thatcher plus many more!

Moira Buffini's plays include Welcome to Thebes, Wonder.land and Dinner which was Olivier nominated (National Theatre); Dying for It (Almeida); A Vampire Story (National Theatre Connections) and Loveplay (RSC). She has also written screenplays for Jane Eyre, (directed by Cary Fukanaga); Tamara Drewe, (directed by Stephen Frears) and Byzantium (directed by Neil Jordan). Moira is also the is co-creator and lead writer of TV series Harlots.

Fiona Buffini's directorial credits include Our Country's Good, The Duchess of Malfi, The Revenger's Tragedy, All My Sons, and Kindertransport (Nottingham Playhouse), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (RSC), Dinner (National Theatre and West End), The Playboy of the Western World (National Theatre), 39 Steps (West Yorkshire Playhouse and West End), Corrie! (Number One tour), Abigail's Party and Gaslight (Theatre Clwyd), The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd (New Vic Theatre), The Boston Marriage (Bolton Octagon), Gabriel (Soho Theatre Company). Between 2013-18 she was the Associate Director of Nottingham Playhouse.

Fiona Buffini said:

"I'm genuinely delighted to be back at the New Vic. The play has been performed all over the UK and most recently in the US. This is the first time (to my knowledge) that it's been performed in the round. This intimacy really suits the play: it's as if we're eavesdropping on private meetings. All the characters talk to the audience, which works so well at the Vic. It's also about a time in our history of huge upheaval and change, which really divided the nation. A play for today."

The production's cast will feature Zoe Aldrich (Antigone and Her Naked Skin, National Theatre) as Mags, Louise Bangay (Cyrano de Bergerac and Rock 'n' Roll, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Q; Melissa Collier (A Midsummer Night's Night Dream, Orange Tree Theatre ) as Liz, Ashley Gerlach

(Beauty and the Beast, Theatre by The Lake) as Actor 1; Jan Goodman (Marriage, One Reputedly Glamorous Woman, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry) as T and Paul Mundell (Jane Eyre, National Theatre and Table, New Vic Theatre) as Actor 2.

The production will be designed by Olivia Du Monceau, with Lighting by Daniella Beattie, Sound by James Earls-Davis and vocals by Judith McSpadden.

Handbagged will run at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme from the 6-28 September.

For further information and tickets on Handbagged visit http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/productions/handbagged.

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