An exclusive showcase of Mrs T, the eagerly-awaited new opera by acclaimed composer Joseph Phibbs and historian Dominic Sandbrook. This preview offers a first look at key scenes from Act One of the first opera to explore Margaret Thatcher’s years in office, plus Q&A moderated by Marina Hyde.

Presented as a semi-staged concert performance, the evening features 45 minutes of music with minimal set and costume, followed by a Q&A with members of the creative team. Mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer takes the title role under the direction of Lucy Bradley, alongside a distinguished cast portraying figures from one of the most turbulent periods in modern British history. Set against the political and social upheavals of the 1980s, Mrs T examines defining moments of Thatcher’s premiership, including the Falklands War, the Cold War, and growing tensions over Europe that would later shape Brexit-era debate. These growing fractures, both political and personal, provide the dramatic impetus for a bold new work that transforms a political icon into a complex and deeply human figure.

This is a story Britain has long struggled to confront. Now is the moment to tell it, with the depth, artistry, wit, and seriousness it deserves.

This event will last approximately 90 minutes, with no interval: a 55-minute performance followed by a 30-minute Q&A.

About Joseph Phibbs

Joesph has been described as “one of the most successful composers of his generation” (BBC Music Magazine), with works written for Philharmonia, London Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Symphony Orchestra, including at The Last Night of the Proms. His opera Juliana was praised in 2018 as “that rare thing nowadays, a genuinely well-made, effective new opera that achieves exactly what it sets out to do” (The Guardian.)

About Dominic Sandbrook

Dominic is the world’s leading historian on post-war Britain. Aside from publishing several widely praised books (White Heat, State of Emergency, and Who Dares Wins), he is the co-presenter of the hugely successful The Rest Is History podcast, and was recognised for its quality and cultural impact with the Apple Podcasts Award for Show of the Year 2025.

About Lucy Schaufer

Grammy Award–winning mezzo-soprano, Lucy actively advocates for new works in order that ‘we all can have a vibrant cultural landscape now and in the future.’ With well over 75 world premieres under her belt, she dedicates her career to performing and collaborating with composers, leading Gramophone Magazine to say that ‘she occupies an undefinable space in the ‘who’s who’ of classical music.’ Lucy is a creative producer and Artistic Director of Wild Plum Arts.

About Lucy Bradley

In 2024, Lucy debuted at San Francisco Opera as Associate Director on The Handmaid’s Tale, at Teatro Real, Madrid on Nixon in China (2023), and Street Scene (2018), and at The Royal Danish Opera for The Handmaid’s Tale (2022). Her directing credits include Handpicked Productions, and Glyndebourne. She was the revival director of Tosca for the Royal Ballet and Opera, Street Scene for Opera Köln and Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Lucy became the National Opera Studio’s first Resident Director in Autumn 2024.

Press for Mrs T – The Iron Lady Sings

‘The Iron Lady Sings – Are you ready for Thatcher – the Opera’ The Guardian

‘Margaret Thatcher’s years in power are to be turned into an opera, with her souring relationship with Geoffrey Howe and his ‘Lady Macbeth’ wife at the heart of it.’ The Times

‘This will be his [Dominic Sandbrook’s] first foray into the world of opera and the combination of the complex politics of Thatcher’s inner circle and Sandbrook’s expertise will likely make a fascinating and entertaining spectacle.” Classic FM