Margaret Thatcher assassination story by Hilary Mantel gets stage premiere in Liverpool
Key takeaways
- When Dame Hilary published her original short story in 2014, its title was meant to provoke a reaction, according to playwright Alexandra Wood.
- "Hilary Mantel, from what I've heard about her, was mischievous and she knew what she was doing and she was being provocative," Wood says.
- "But the play doesn't deliver on that simplicity of the title."
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Ian Youngs Culture reporter Getty Images Margaret Thatcher was an unpopular figure in Liverpool during her reign as prime minister from 1979 to 1990A story called The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, in which award-winning author Dame Hilary Mantel imagined a plot to kill the 1980s prime minister, was controversial when it was published, and has now had its stage premiere in Liverpool.
The title was designed to grab attention - and divide opinion - but the new play's makers say it explores some serious and very current issues, including violence against politicians, the actions of angry and disenfranchised young men, and how people could and should resolve their differences.
When Dame Hilary published her original short story in 2014, its title was meant to provoke a reaction, according to playwright Alexandra Wood.