Thatcher as Gay Diva. Matt Tedford is superb as the unlamented 'Iron Lady', bringing the right dose of arrogance while making the voice just a little less grating than the original, then camping the whole act up to Dame Edna levels. He's quick with the ad libs, easily putting hecklers in their place, and is constantly breaking the fourth wall to bring the audience into the proceedings. It's a performance filled with energy and knowing winks.
Backing him up are 'The Wets', aides de camp indeed. They provide caricaturisations of several figures from 80s politics and some style to the dance routines. Their excellent timing and slickness kept the scenes turning over rapidly and provided a lot of the laughs.
The storyline is a take on Thatcher's years in power and what she might have been if some element of humanity and empathy had ever played any part in her thinking. While much of the focus is on the controversy surrounding the homophobic Section 28 there are plenty of other clever references to the sad legacy her policies have inflicted on the UK. They even manage to bring Jeremy Corbyn in so there's a freshness to the script.
Good fun, a lot of noise, colour and laughter. And some sharp reminders of how damaging that period was and how Many problems it has bequeathed to us today.
Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho is on in the Bosco Theatre in George Square Gardens at 21.00 until the 30th.
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