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Maggie & Me

Let’s tackle head-on what a younger theatre-goer may think when they see a play called Maggie and Me; “who is Maggie?” is my bet. It may be the rallying cry of conservative politicians but Margaret Thatcher is hardly trending on TikTok. The 80s are a long time ago now.

The play is a forceful reminder that growing up gay in the 80s was really shit

Fear not, this National Theatre of Scotland production achieves the great trick of good theatre - it makes someone's life so intense and compelling that the question of ‘contemporary relevance’ becomes itself an irrelevant question.

Adapted from the award winning memoir of the same name by Damian Barr (‘DB’ in the play), this is a very personal memoir of a working class boy whose life is caught between the restraints of his background and the tectonic changes brought about by Margaret Thatcher’s government.

There is a lot of detail (the production is 2 hours 50 minutes with an interval) covering topics such as: deindustrialization, divorce, his mother’s brain haemorrhage, widespread homophobia, physical abuse, Section 28, and the worst years of the AIDS pandemic. The play is a forceful reminder that growing up gay in the 80s was really shit.

The text has been adapted by James Ley and Damian Barr himself. The opening section where DB is starting the memoir is certainly witty, but the episodes of a literary agent’s unanswered voice messages, his partner’s martinis, listening to Desert Island Discs and mockery of posh girls does rather smack of drawing-room comedy. The play catches fire when DB goes to a therapist, and the stage transforms from everyday interiors to a vivid internal landscape of memory and imagination.

The stage design by Kenneth MacLeod to support these multiple internal dramas is superb. Gary Lamont as DB manages a delicate balance between the character’s inner struggle with the stage authority to conquer up or dismiss scenes from his past. Sam Angel as ‘Wee DB’ flips between age ranges spanning from young child to young man, and back again, instantly delineating his age each time. The remaining cast of five are remarkable for the ease in which they play over 40 wildly different characters.

When the memoir was originally published in 2013 it was received with great acclaim, but was criticised by Adam Mars-Jones’ review in The Guardian for ‘victim-blaming’ in sections where DB has a positive attitude to Thatcher (‘my other mother’).

The play adaptation has perhaps a more nuanced approach in exploring the influence of Thatcher. DB’s therapist transforms into Thatcher, who in turn takes the role of multiple authority figures such as a bishop and quizmaster. This adversarial authority acts as a mirror to force DB to face up to, and ultimately, come to terms with his past.

The play is not just a period piece, sadly. Superficial appearances change, but there are plenty of children in Britain who will carry deep scars with them as they grow up. At least the story of DB has friendship, and escape – and more importantly than escape, finds a certain resolution with the wounds of his past.

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Performances

Location

The Blurb

“Don’t you worry. I’ll always love you. Love doesn’t run out. It’s not like a gas meter. I’ll find extra love.”

Brighton, 2008: Damian Barr celebrates getting a deal to write a memoir about his chaotic childhood in 1980s Lanarkshire. But as soon as he opens the door to his troubled past, everybody comes rushing through, including his younger self and the woman who forever changes his family, community and country: Maggie Thatcher. 

Soon, revisiting his past turns into reliving it – the fear and the joy. From the furnaces of the Ravenscraig Steelworks to the sanctuary of Carfin Grotto, there’s trauma and triumph, coming of age and coming out. Can Damian survive his past again, find his voice and finally tell his story?

Past and present collide, endangering the future, in the world premiere stage adaptation of modern Scottish classic Maggie & Me (Sunday Times Memoir of the Year).

Damian Barr, James Ley and director Suba Das team up for this bold new production, with an incredible ensemble cast led by Gary Lamont (Boiling Point, Outlander). Join us on an explosive quest that tells the story of a particular place and time through Damian’s childhood. Before you can move forwards, you have to go back…

Written by Damian Barr and James Ley, adapted from the memoir by Damian BarrDirected by Suba Das

Recommended Age 14+Adult Themes, Strong Language

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