Handbagged

B

This diverting comedy by Moira Buffini (Gabriel) is the latest offering in 59e59 Theaters’ annual Brits Off Broadway season. Although the play indeed originated in London and won an Olivier Award, this production is actually an import from Roundhouse Theatre in Washington. The titular handbags belong to none other than Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth and the play is a fictionalized version of their prickly relationship. Each of them is represented by two characters, a younger version who experiences most of the events and an older version who comments on them. The Prime Minister is portrayed by T (Kate Fahy) and Mags (Susan Lynskey); the queen, by Q (Anita Carey) and Liz (Beth Hylton). Most of the time, all four are onstage. The cast also includes Actor 1 (Cody Leroy Wilson) and Actor 2 (John Lescaut), who play a variety of roles — husband, cabinet members, opposition politicians, Rupert Murdoch, and President and Mrs. Reagan, among others. Wilson is quite a sight in Nancy’s red suit. I thought that the play offered, in a flash, more insight into Murdoch’s influence on British life than the entire play Ink. The informative but playful script takes us through the Thatcher years, with emphasis on conversations between the two — or, in this case, four — figures. The queen is portrayed as a sympathetic figure who tries, mostly without success, to establish rapport with the rigid, dogmatic Thatcher. You might want to brush up your knowledge of that period, including the Falkland War, the coal strike, allowing the US to use UK bases in Libya, the poll tax and other arcane matters. It would have been helpful if there had been a few notes in the program. The playwright includes several metatheatrical devices such as frequently breaking the fourth wall and having Actors 1 and 2 argue over who gets which parts. For the most part, the playwright successfully blends entertainment and information. However, the play shows a few stretch marks from turning what was originally a one-act play into a longer work. The mostly American cast (only Fahy and Carey are British) is fine. Kate Fahy’s strong physical resemblance to Thatcher is uncanny. Mr. Wilson is a born scene stealer. Richard Kent has designed an elegantly simple set with black walls surrounding an all-white floor with a faint outline of the Union Jack on it, a pair of white chairs and a small table; his costumes are spot on. Indhu Rubasingham’s direction is assured. While I enjoyed the evening, I caution that those who did not live through the Thatcher Era or are not interested in it may be bored. Running time: two hours including intermission.