A Provocative Stage Reimagining of a Controversial Narrative
Hilary Mantel’s provocative short story imagining the assassination of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has moved from the page to the stage. The production, set to be staged in Liverpool next year, reopens a long-running debate about how memory, history, and political power are portrayed in fiction. First published in The Guardian in 2014, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher has since become a touchstone in discussions about contemporary literature’s relationship with political extremity and moral ambiguity.
From Page to Stage: Why Liverpool?
The choice of Liverpool as the cradle for this staging is significant. The city’s deep labor history and its role as a counterpoint to Thatcher-era policies provide a layered backdrop for a drama that asks difficult questions: What does it mean to imagine violence against a public figure? How does fiction interrogate the myth of leadership and the cost of policy decisions on ordinary lives?
What the Play Explores
The play adapts Mantel’s chilling premise—an imagined summer of 1983—into a narrative that centers on memory, dissent, and the ethics of representing real historical figures in fiction. Audiences are invited to scrutinize the boundary between storytelling and historical reconstruction, and to consider how myths about the Thatcher years have shaped national memory.
Performance and Direction
Directors and actors are shaping a production that leans into intimate, claustrophobic staging rather than grand, cinematic spectacle. The emphasis is on character, dialogue, and the unsettled atmosphere that Mantel’s prose evokes. The creative team has signaled a design approach that foregrounds realism—carefully crafted sound, lighting, and period-accurate details—while resisting sensationalism.
Audience and Ethical Considerations
As with Mantel’s original writing, the staging is likely to spark debate. Critics and audiences may ask whether fictionalized violence against a real political figure serves artistic inquiry or risks normalizing harm. The production’s program is expected to address these concerns, offering context about Mantel’s narrative choices and the historical framework of 1983 Britain.
Historical Context Meets Contemporary Theatre
The 1980s were a tumultuous era in British politics, marked by strikes, economic upheaval, and a conservative leadership that reshaped public policy. By transposing the narrative into Liverpool, the play anchors itself in a city entrenched in labor history, making the imagined events resonate with tangible civic memory. The production thus becomes as much a commentary on the Thatcher era as a meditation on how societies remember their pasts—and what we owe to the stories we tell about it.
What This Means for Theaters in 2025 and Beyond
<pBeyond its immediate controversy, the play raises questions about audience responsibility and the role of theatre in confronting difficult histories. It challenges curators to balance artistic risk with public sensitivity, inviting discussion about censorship, artistic freedom, and the responsibilities that come with staging work that reimagines real lives under the glare of history.
Anticipating the Run
Tickets and exact dates are anticipated to be announced by the Liverpool venue ahead of the premiere. The production promises a conversation-starting run that could become a talking point in literary and theatre circles, as well as in broader cultural debates about how we stage political memory.
A Conversation Starter About Power, Memory, and Art
Ultimately, Mantel’s story—and its upcoming Liverpool staging—invites audiences to reflect on how fiction can illuminate, complicate, and challenge our understanding of political figures and eras. Whether viewed as a provocative experiment or a serious historical meditation, the play places a wager on the power of theatre to provoke, discomfort, and illuminate the past’s ongoing influence on the present.
