National Tour Of HANDBAGGED Comes to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

A major national tour of Moira Buffini's funny play HANDBAGGED will visit Wolverhampton Grand Theatre as part of the Theatre Nation Partnerships (TNP) initiative convened by The National Theatre. HANDBAGGED is a Theatre Nation Partnerships production, produced by Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, and will tour across England.

HANDBAGGED will visit Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 27 February – 1 March 2025.

Moira Buffini's clever, funny and charming political comedy unlocks the Buckingham palace door, imagining the untold conversations of two of history's most powerful women, Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II.

Ronald Reagan, Denis Thatcher and an ensemble of familiar faces add to the biting satire and sharp humour as the gloves come off and personalities clash.

25 years later, with both women now gone, their shadows still loom large, as this Queen's Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre Nation Partnerships production explores the legacy of this divisive premiership, leaving audiences to question what they truly know about those who decide our nation's destiny.

Alex Thorpe, Co-Creative Director of Queen's Theatre Hornchurch and Director of Handbagged: “We are delighted to be working with our brilliant TNP partners and The National Theatre, to share this outstanding play across the country. At a time when female leadership is at the forefront of western global politics, it felt a perfect time to re-examine the titanic personal and political struggle of the two most powerful women of the modern era, in a defining moment in our country's history. This tour marks the largest collaboration across the country in the three years of TNP and we can't wait to share this story with the nation”

Kate Varah, Executive Director of The National Theatre: “Theatre Nation Partnerships is our national network with local impacts. By working in partnership with theatres across the country, we are collaborating at scale to create more opportunities for people to engage with theatre and inspire creativity across the nation, reaching over 500,000 people across three years. We're so excited for audiences from across England to have the opportunity to enjoy the brilliant play that is Handbagged and are delighted to have Queen's Theatre Hornchurch at the helm once again to share this story with audiences far and wide”. 

Theatre Nation Partnerships is a collaborative network of arts organisations aiming to strengthen their relationships with local audiences, schools, and communities. Convened by The National Theatre, the network is made up of theatres and creative organisations in 13 priority areas of England. Theatre Nation Partnerships has been supported by a £1.25 million award by Arts Council England, made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

Tickets for HANDBAGGED are on sale to Friends of the Grand and members from 10am on Wednesday 2 October with public sales opening at 10am on Friday 4 October online at grandtheatre.co.uk.

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