Margaret Thatcher Descends on Birmingham in DEAD SHEEP

DEAD SHEEP, Jonathan Maitland's acclaimed debut play portrays Thatcher's downfall at the hands of Geoffrey Howe

Visits Birmingham Repertory Theatre just days ahead of Tory Party Conference

Theresa May and members of the Tory Party may be in for a surprise when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher descends on Birmingham just days ahead of The Tory Party Conference!

But they need not worry it's really the actor Steve Nallon who plays the UK's first female Prime Minister in Jonathan Maitland's debut play Dead Sheep at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from Monday 26 - Saturday 1 October 2016.

Dead Sheep portrays the true story of how Mrs Thatcher, the most divisive Prime Minister of modern times, was brought down by her one time friend and political soul mate Geoffrey Howe. Using imagined dialogue to portray private scenes between the main protagonists, it recreates the events leading up to Howe's famous 1990 speech, in which he criticised Thatcher for undermining policies on economic and monetary union in Europe, ultimately leading to her downfall and resignation.

Dead Sheep is the result of two years research, during which the playwright gained access to Geoffrey Howe himself and other prominent politicians and advisers of the era.

It is 1899 and a seemingly invincible Prime Minister has sacked her Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe, thinking she had nothing to fear from him; his speaking skills, had famously, been compared to those of a dead sheep. But inspired by his wife Elspeth, a formidable and witty feminist, whose relationships with Thatcher was notoriously frosty, Howe overcame his limitations to destroy Mrs Thatcher's political career ... and also his own.

Dead Sheep is written by broadcaster and writer Jonathan Maitland who said "When I wrote Dead Sheep in 2014 I knew it would be resonant. But it now feels uncanny. Then, as now, it was a story of a government split over Europe, agonising conflicts of loyalty, and a fatal miscalculation by a seemingly impregnable Prime Minister. The timing couldn't be sweeter especially since we're at The REP just days ahead of the Tory Party Conference. We're considering a special seating policy: Remainers to the left, Leavers to the right."

Actor Steve Nallon, who studied at Birmingham University, stars as Margaret Thatcher. He is known for his work as a voice artist on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image and for impersonating Margaret Thatcher on television throughout her time as Prime Minister.

Steve is joined by Paul Bradley (Professor Elliot Hope in Holby City) as Geoffrey Howe, Carol Royle as Elspeth Howe, Graham Seed as Ian Gow/Nigel Lawson, Christoper Villiers as Bernard Ingham/Alan Clark/Dennis Thatcher and John Wark as Stephen Wall/Brian Waldon. Ian Talbot OBE directs.

Monday 26 September - Saturday 1 October

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EP

Performances: Eves 7.30pm; Monday 26 September 7pm; Mat: Thursday 29 September 2.30pm, Saturday 1 October 2pm.

Tickets from £15

Box Office: 0121 236 4455 Online Booking: Birmingham-rep.co.uk

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