404 Strand, London, WC2R 0NH GB
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Handbagged

Handbagged Tickets

4.6/5 - based on 31 reviews
from 31 verified reviews
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Handbagged in London

Handbagged – Tea at four, handbags at dawn

There’s real pleasure in the playwright Moira Buffini’s gleeful speculation about what happened at the regular weekly meetings, complete with tea, between the Queen and Margret Thatcher back in the glory days of the 1980s and ‘90s.

The original, shorter version of this play debuted at the Tricycle London in 2010 and has since been embroidered and extended beautifully into a full-length piece that’s as funny and touching as it is informative.

It sounds good so far. But this really is a play with a difference. Two actresses play the Queen, young and old, and another two play a younger and older Thatcher. Marion Bailey plays the Queen as her older self and Stella Gonet the elder Thatcher. The women’s younger selves are played by Clare Holman (the Queen) and Fenella Woolgar (Margaret Thatcher). Which might sound confusing… but it isn’t. Quite the opposite. As an observer it means you get to see both Queens and Thatchers talking to themselves, even arguing with themselves, remembering their feelings and thoughts in a way that feels perfectly natural. Clever, clever stuff – you’ll be lost in admiration.

Handbagged - The story

Margaret Thatcher enjoyed eleven years in power as Prime Minister. During that time she sat down every week with Her Majesty for a meeting about the state of the nation, the world, the universe and everything. Of course we can only speculate about what the women discussed. But the relationship was widely supposed to be a tense one, and Moira Buffini exploits its legendary difficulties to the full. Seldom has rampant speculation been so much fun.

To spice things up, you’ll be entertained even further by a series of seventeen key, mostly male characters of the time, people like Kenneth Kaunda, Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy, and Michael Heseltine – our beloved Hezzer. They’re all played by the talented actors Neet Mohan and Jeff Rawle who liven up this highly entertaining, quirky history lesson even more.

Witty, funny, brilliantly acted and perfectly performed, this new production is bound to fill the house at The Vaudeville Theatre during spring and summer 2014. If you want to experience history as you’ve never known it before, walk this way. Her Majesty and Mrs T await you, and the fun is about to start.

Handbagged theatre tickets – It’s history… but not as we know it

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Handbagged Official Theatre Tickets

Our central reservation system connects you directly to the Vaudeville Theatre box office system. We provide live & full availability for Handbagged tickets, from VIP and premium, to top price and discount tickets, helping you choose the perfect tickets for your budget. Pick your seats from our interactive seating plan and get your theatre tickets emailed to you instantly after your booking. Simply present your e-tickets at the door on the day and experience what London & the West End have best to offer: the magic of theatre. Buying tickets for Handbagged has never been easier.

Handbagged Ticket Information

  • Booking until:

    Saturday, 2 August 2014

  • Running time:

    2 hours 10 minutes

  • Cancellations & Refunds

    Once booked, tickets to Handbagged are usually non exchangeable and non refundable as per our terms & conditions. In practice, however, we will do our best to accommodate your request as long as we are notified at least 48 hours before the performance. Please contact us for more information.

Handbagged cheap tickets

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Handbagged reviews

4.6 out of 5 based on 31 reviews

What to expect:

Acting
Music
Costumes
Story
Lighting
  • Recommended for:
  • Couples (84%)
  • Theatregoers (97%)
Latest customer reviews

Please note the reviews below are from an old production of Handbagged.

Scathingly Sharp!

An intelligently written and superbly acted play. I have seen many comedies over the years but this is probably the best I've seen. Laughed out loud a lot.

Reviewed on 03 August 2014 by

One word .......... BRILLIANT

My sister & I thought Handbagged was excellent. Very funny and also provoking at times. Excellent acting by the whole cast, made you feel you were in the company of The Queen & Maggie Thatcher. Very clever writing reminding us of some of the unhappy. Events our country. Went through & it could be argued going today

Reviewed on 01 August 2014 by

Great fun

Reviewed on 08 July 2014 by

Great fun

Reviewed on 08 July 2014 by

Brilliant

Very Clever dialogue and excellent portrayal

Reviewed on 05 July 2014 by

handbaggee was wonderful

Highly recommended. See it while you can.

Reviewed on 04 July 2014 by

Handbagged

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel approach to relating "the Thatcher years". Certainly brought things alive for me - and the use of the Queen almost as commentator was a winner! Perhaps best suited to those of us who were around at the time!

Reviewed on 03 July 2014 by

"Handbagged" Review

Excellent show and would definitely recommend to anyone interested in fairly recent political history. All actors were brilliant too with good comedy included in the script. The only bad comment I would make is that the sound quality was a bit lacking in so far it was quite difficult at times to hear the words spoken by the younger Magaret Thatcher. I would add that we do not suffer from hard of hearing!

Reviewed on 03 July 2014 by

Really worth seeing

Reviewed on 03 July 2014 by

maah

Reviewed on 02 July 2014 by

Good show

Reviewed on 27 June 2014 by

Tatch & Queen

Reviewed on 24 June 2014 by

The actors was so true to real life, you probably had to live through the 70's or 80's to relate to the story line, but I would still recommend it to all, well worth a ticket

Reviewed on 23 June 2014 by

Moving and funny

A surprisingly wonderful piece of theatre.. Loved it so much. The entire cast are amazing. A must see.

Reviewed on 07 June 2014 by

Very funny and political

A remarkable show and some genuinely great acting! I would recommend the play to anyone interested in the subject, especially to young people, as this play goes over many interesting moments from the 80s. It is almost like a history lecture but a grotesque one! Brilliant!

Reviewed on 03 June 2014 by

Not as funny as I had hoped

I was lead to believe this was "laugh out loud" funny... it was amusing, very clever and brilliantly written, but not quite as funny as I thought, but I did enjoy it nonetheless... worth watching

Reviewed on 02 June 2014 by

Great night out

Reviewed on 30 May 2014 by

Excellent in all respects!

Reviewed on 06 May 2014 by

Flawles, fantastic show. A MUST SEE!!!!!

Wonderful acting,brilliant script.Very funny.

Reviewed on 26 April 2014 by

Truly Handbagged

Great performance, funny to watch, especially if you lived through it!

Reviewed on 20 April 2014 by

Great Play for the Politically Aware

Very entertaining for those that lived through, and remembered the events. Excellent comic use of the supporting actors in multiple roles.

Reviewed on 14 April 2014 by

A really enjoyable evening, funny and political, so I felt entertained and informed at the same time. I thought that the actresses playing the older Queen and the younger Thatcher got the mannerisms really well! I am not aware that there was any music , but there was no option for not applicable, so I gave excellent - excellent for it's absence, that is

Reviewed on 08 April 2014 by