The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher at Liverpool Everyman Review

Photo: Marc Brenner

Written by Roby for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own

Based on the short story by Hilary Mantel, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher is the next play in the Everyman’s 2026 season. Its dark, funny, and unafraid, making for a gripping play that is superbly performed by its two actors.

Robbie O’Neill plays Brendan and Antonia Reynolds plays Caroline. The two performers are brilliant and have a strong chemistry with each other. They tackle a huge spectrum of emotions throughout the show, which of course is not an easy job to do. Their performances are splendid, and they manage to never overdo the moments of comedy or anger within the script. O’Neill and Reynolds earn a hugely well-deserved standing ovation at the end of the show – they execute high-demanding roles with ease.

John Young’s direction complements the actors well; Young tackles the play’s themes (some of which being morality, class, and race) in a way that makes the show an intimate, engaging watch. The beginning of the second half did become quite confusing and had this of not been a captioned performance I may have struggled to keep up at times with the sudden changes in roles. I also thought the dropping of life-size Thatcher dolls became a bit excessive – the fact that they were headless too added an extra layer of bizarreness (perhaps this was on purpose?) and the wigs were at times pinned too far down on the doll, making it look like the Thatcher dolls had grey beards rather than hair. Maybe this is just me being picky though!

The attention to detail throughout the show is great to see – Ceci Calf’s set design is magnificent, and the sound (Kieran Lucas) and lighting (Simisola Majekodunmi) design complement the show well. Young also effectively creates a great atmosphere leading up to the show – I loved the pre-show element, along with the Comics Youth art exhibition, and the serving of milk cartons in the interval! All of these details really worked.

I personally find Alexandra Wood’s script to be the standout of this show; it’s humorous, yet dark, and Wood’s writing has a refreshing boldness to it that makes this show so unique. Tension is created brilliantly throughout the show, and Wood isn’t afraid to ask deep moral questions, touching on an array of political events. It’s well-paced, slick, and the intimate nature of the Everyman Theatre complements the script writing perfectly.

Overall, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher is a daring new piece of theatre that is well-executed by its cast and creative team. Its dark, funny, and bold writing makes for a refreshing show that tackles political and moral questions still relevant today. It’s a must-watch, and the best thing I’ve seen at the Everyman so far this year!

★ ★ ★ ★