Thatcher musical opens in the UK

Margaret Thatcher's life is interpreted in song and dance

A musical based on the life and career of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher has premiered in the UK.

The show chronicles her rise from grocer's daughter to the key moments of her leadership, including the Falklands War and miners' strike.

Tunes in the Warwick Arts Centre show include The Cabinet Shuffle, The Tory Blues and The Thatcher Anthem.

Ten different women play the politician. Thatcher The Musical is due to embark on a UK tour in the autumn.

It explores the lasting impact that Baroness Thatcher, who celebrated her 80th birthday last autumn, had on this country and the world, and what she might tell us if she were in power today.

Handbag

Other key moments in the Iron Lady's political career which are covered in the show include the Brighton bombing and her eventual fall from Downing Street in 1990.

The musical also promises to reveal the contents of the former prime minister's infamous handbag.

The musical is being staged by all-female production company Foursight Theatre, whose previous shows include Six Dead Queens And An Inflatable Henry.

Foursight director Naomi Cooke said: "We hope people of all political persuasions will come and see the show.

"It will remind us of a fascinating and controversial period in our political history which continues to resonate in our lives today."

She added that the musical was "entertaining and provocative" and neither "glorified nor denigrated" the politician's lasting legacy.