Representations of Thatcher as War Leader: 30 Years On

Fowler, Dawn M.

Abstract

This paper explores representations of Margaret Thatcher as war-leader in British drama. From Steven Berkoff’s satirical portrayal of “Maggot Scratcher” in his play Sink the Belgrano to Ian Curteis’ sympathetic dramatic interpretation of Thatcher in his tele-play The Falklands Play, British writers have continued to offer varying and controversial accounts of Thatcher’s role during the Falklands-Malvinas conflict.

I will argue that throughout the Falklands campaign Thatcher deliberately constructed herself as victorious war-leader and Britain as an indomitable military force. Drawing on specific dramatic examples, military historians and academic commentary, I will show how dramatists have re-imagined or affirmed Thatcher’s own image of herself as war-leader in the years following the conflict, and how this self-conscious construction still impacts on writers who continue to re-visit the Falklands era for dramatic material.

An analysis of Thatcher’s representation as war-leader provides a timely example of her military headship, and offers the opportunity to re-assess her own self-imposed iconography.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Political Studies Association Annual Conference 2010
• Start Date: Mar 29, 2010
• End Date: Apr 1, 2010
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: representations, Thatcher, war, leader
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/979313
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Political Studies Association Annual Conference