Editing Margaret Thatcher (section)

===Cultural depictions===
{{Main|Cultural depictions of Margaret Thatcher}}

According to theatre critic [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Events: Michael Billington: 'State of the Nation' |url=http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/events/id/3627 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207113843/http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/events/id/3627 |archive-date=7 February 2008 |access-date=8 June 2008}}</ref> Thatcher left an "emphatic mark" on the arts while prime minister.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Billington |first=Michael |date=8 April 2013 |title=Margaret Thatcher casts a long shadow over theatre and the arts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/apr/08/margaret-thatcher-long-shadow-theatre |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113085827/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/apr/08/margaret-thatcher-long-shadow-theatre |archive-date=13 January 2017 |access-date=8 May 2017 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> One of the earliest satires of Thatcher as prime minister involved satirist [[John Wells (satirist)|John Wells]] (as writer and performer), actress [[Janet Brown]] (voicing Thatcher) and future ''[[Spitting Image]]'' producer [[John Lloyd (producer)|John Lloyd]] (as co-producer), who in 1979 were teamed up by producer [[Martin Lewis (humorist)|Martin Lewis]] for the satirical audio album [[The Iron Lady (album)|''The Iron Lady'']], which consisted of skits and songs satirising Thatcher's rise to power. The album was released in September 1979.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 April 2013 |title='I'm There' song reissue mocks Margaret Thatcher on day of funeral |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/04/16/im-there-song-reissue-mocks-margaret-thatcher-on-day-of-funeral/2088929 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130422071500/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/04/16/im-there-song-reissue-mocks-margaret-thatcher-on-day-of-funeral/2088929/ |archive-date=22 April 2013 |access-date=25 April 2013 |work=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Randy |date=16 April 2013 |title=Album skewering Margaret Thatcher to be reissued on April 17 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-margaret-thatcher-funeral-album-iron-lady-comedy-20130416,0,4237647.story |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420095346/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-margaret-thatcher-funeral-album-iron-lady-comedy-20130416,0,4237647.story |archive-date=20 April 2013 |access-date=25 April 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Thatcher was heavily satirised on ''Spitting Image'', and ''[[The Independent]]'' labelled her "every stand-up's dream".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sherwin |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Sherwin |date=1 September 2012 |title=Margaret Thatcher: Let's hear it for the Iron Lady, comedy's greatest straight man |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/margaret-thatcher-lets-hear-it-for-the-iron-lady-comedys-greatest-straight-man-8100027.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929124047/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/margaret-thatcher-lets-hear-it-for-the-iron-lady-comedys-greatest-straight-man-8100027.html |archive-date=29 September 2019 |access-date=29 September 2019 |work=The Independent}}</ref>

Thatcher was the subject or the inspiration for 1980s [[protest song]]s. Musicians [[Billy Bragg]] and [[Paul Weller]] helped to form the [[Red Wedge]] collective to support Labour in opposition to Thatcher.<ref name="songs">{{Cite news |last=Heard |first=Chris |date=4 May 2004 |title=Rocking against Thatcher |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3682281.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311130019/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3682281.stm |archive-date=11 March 2009 |access-date=2 August 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> Known as "Maggie" by supporters and opponents alike, the chant song "[[Maggie Out]]" became a signature rallying cry among the left during the latter half of her premiership.{{sfnmp|1a1=Vinen|1y=2009|1pp=1947–1948|2a1=Barr|2y=2013|2pp=178, 235}}

Wells parodied Thatcher in several media. He collaborated with [[Richard Ingrams]] on the spoof "[[Dear Bill]]" letters, which ran as a column in ''[[Private Eye]]'' magazine; they were also published in book form and became a West End stage revue titled ''Anyone for Denis?'', with Wells in the role of Thatcher's husband. It was followed by [[Anyone for Denis? (video)|a 1982 TV special]] directed by [[Dick Clement]], in which Thatcher was played by [[Angela Thorne]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anyone for Denis? |url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/4789 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724114429/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/4789 |archive-date=24 July 2013 |access-date=19 January 2011 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref>

Since her premiership, Thatcher has been portrayed in a number of television programmes, documentaries, films and plays.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chilton |first=Martin |date=8 February 2011 |title=People who have played Margaret Thatcher |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/8311635/People-who-have-played-Margaret-Thatcher.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424160245/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/8311635/People-who-have-played-Margaret-Thatcher.html |archive-date=24 April 2017 |access-date=15 April 2017 |work=The Telegraph |location=London, UK}}</ref> She was portrayed by [[Patricia Hodge]] in [[Ian Curteis]]'s long unproduced ''[[The Falklands Play]]'' (2002) and by [[Andrea Riseborough]] in the TV film ''[[The Long Walk to Finchley]]'' (2008). She is the protagonist in two films, played by [[Lindsay Duncan]] in [[Margaret (2009 film)|''Margaret'']] (2009) and by [[Meryl Streep]] in [[The Iron Lady (film)|''The Iron Lady'']] (2011),<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 February 2011 |title=Image of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher unveiled |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12393674 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209050448/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12393674 |archive-date=9 February 2011 |access-date=9 February 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> in which she is depicted as suffering from dementia or [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Julie |date=22 December 2011 |title='The Iron Lady' Draws Fire For Depicting Margaret Thatcher With Alzheimer's |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/12/22/the-iron-lady-draws-fire-for-depicting-thatcher-with-alzheimers |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108010000/https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/12/22/the-iron-lady-draws-fire-for-depicting-thatcher-with-alzheimers |archive-date=8 January 2012 |access-date=28 February 2012 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> She is a main character in the [[The Crown (season 4)|fourth season]] of ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'', played by [[Gillian Anderson]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thorpe |first=Vanessa |date=7 September 2019 |title=Gillian Anderson to play Thatcher in fourth series of ''The Crown'' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/sep/07/gillian-anderson-to-play-thatcher-fourth-series-the-crown-netflix |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216101144/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/sep/07/gillian-anderson-to-play-thatcher-fourth-series-the-crown-netflix |archive-date=16 December 2019 |access-date=16 December 2019 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> Thatcher has a supporting role in the 2024 biographical film ''[[Reagan (2024 film)|Reagan]]'', played by [[Lesley-Anne Down]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Jeremy |date=11 November 2020 |title=Voltage Pictures' 'Reagan' finds its Margaret Thatcher (exclusive) |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/voltage-pictures-reagan-finds-its-margaret-thatcher-exclusive/5154845.article |access-date=3 September 2024 |website=Screen}}</ref>