(Dead Sheep Limited & Cahoots Theatre Company)
 |
| Steve Nallon as Thatcher and Paul Bradley as Howe |
Occasionally great new writing is wonderfully directed and
brilliantly performed, restoring ones faith in live theatre. So is the case
with Dead Sheep, the intriguing story of how Britain’s first female Prime
Minister, Margaret Thatcher, fatally underestimated her mild mannered, Foreign
Secretary, Geoffrey Howe. Although not the most entertaining topic for a play
perhaps, Jonathan Maitland has penned an ingenious, satirical look at events
that seemingly led to the political demise of the Iron Lady.
Paul Bradley is utterly charming as the socially awkward
Howe, egged on by his ambitious wife, Elspeth, deftly played by Carol
Royle. The references to The
Scottish Play worked perfectly in the portrayal of this relationship. Steve
Nallon, who famously presented the voice of Maggie Thatcher in Spitting Image
for so many years, is unnervingly convincing as the former PM, throwing looks
that elicited audible winces from the auditorium. The remaining characters are
skilfully played by Graham Seed, John Wark and Christopher Villiers, who also
collectively narrate the action throughout. Villiers’ physicalisation of
characters at Prime Minister’s question time is extremely entertaining and note
worthy, as is the telephone scene. Simply brilliant!
Director, Ian Talbot, really shows his metal with the
staging of this piece, capitalising on the skills afforded him by the actors.
The physical humour is welcomingly abundant and adds worthy value to the script
and storytelling. Morgan Large has designed a perfectly simplistic set that
effortlessly transforms from location to location without interrupting the
action, excellently enhanced by David Howe’s lighting design.
This is a great production and well worth seeing. It is on at Malvern Festival Theatre
until Saturday.
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