Drag and punk poetry to feature at Thatcher Fest

The festival is being held to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher

More details have been announced about a festival to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher.

The former Conservative prime minister was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1925 and died in April 2013, aged 87.

Thatcher Fest will begin in the town on 13 October and will include a drag show and talks by former minister Edwina Currie and TV personality Gyles Brandreth.

Other events include a talk about the inspiration behind a controversial bronze statue honouring her, as well as an evening of punk poetry, comedy and music, billed as Grantham Labour's answer to Thatcher Fest.

Ashley Baxter, leader of South Kesteven District Council, said the aim of the festival was to "promote political debate and drive footfall to Grantham".

"Regardless of what you think of her views and policies, a woman getting to the position of prime minister in 1979 is astonishing.

"It's not something everyone would want to celebrate - she is one of the most polarising figures of recent political history."

However, he added: "Whether you remember Mrs T as the milk-snatcher or the Iron Lady, we would love to see you in Grantham for the festival."

Thatcher was the UK's first female prime minister and held the post from 1979 until her resignation in 1990.

A statue of Margaret Thatcher was erected in her home town in 2022

Guildhall Arts Centre line-up

• Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, 13 October: A drag show starring Matt Tedford as The Iron Lady, reimagining the evening of the Section 28 vote with Thatcher getting lost in Soho and accidentally becoming a cabaret singer.

• Former junior health minister Edwina Currie hosting an evening of chat and memories of her time in government, 14 October

• Quite A Centenary, 17 October: Hosted by TV personality, author and former MP Gyles Brandreth, celebrating three British icons - Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth II and Winnie the Pooh.

• Thatcher, Reagan, Gorbachev: Power, Politics, and the end of the Cold War, 15 October: Hosted by York St John University professor, Dr James Cooper.

Other ticketed events

• Walking Talks: The Thatcher Years - guided walks of Grantham - various dates in October

• An evening of punk poetry, irreverent comedy and music at Grantham Railway Club 12 October

• Behind the Bronze - billed as the untold story of Grantham's Margaret Thatcher statue, taking place at Grantham Museum 15 October

• The Iron Lady: cinema screening at Kesteven and Grantham Girls School - 13 and 16 October

• Living Over the Shop: Grantham Dramatic Society present a gossip's view of Margaret Thatcher at Christ Church, Finkin Street/Grantham Museum - 15 and 18 October

• Margaret Thatcher: Alternative Voices - Music and poetry at Grantham Museum 18 October

• A book signing and talk around Tina Gaudoin's latest work, The Incidental Feminist: Friend, foe, femme fatale: The truth about Thatcher. The event is taking place at The Reading Room on 18 October

All tickets are available through the Guildhall Arts Centre website or from the Guildhall Box Office in Grantham.

Ticketless events

• Thatcher Postcard Exhibition: Union Street Gallery will hosts a collection covering various side of the story, political moments, and illustrated images throughout October

• Margaret Thatcher display: Discover her early life, legacy, and local roots at Grantham Library, 13 to 18 October

• Grantham in the 1920s and 1930s - local history talk at Christ Church Finkin Street, 14 October at 16:00 GMT

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