(Credit: Claire Shovelton)

The first opera about Margaret Thatcher’s time in office will receive an exclusive showcase performance at Kings Place in London on June 12, 2026.

Titled “Mrs T,” the new work is composed by Joseph Phibbs with a libretto by Dominic Sandbrook, historian, broadcaster, and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is History. The showcase will present 45 minutes of music from Act One in a semi-staged concert performance, followed by a Q&A with the creative team.

Mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer, who has over 75 world premieres to her credit, takes the title role. The cast also features baritone Marcus Farnsworth as Geoffrey Howe, bass-baritone Mark Stone as Ronald Reagan, mezzo-soprano Rebecca Afonwy-Jones as Cynthia Crawford, tenor Robert Forrest as Michael Heseltine, and actor Tom Dickerson as The Protester.

Lucy Bradley directs, with Lee Reynolds on the podium and Ben-San Lau as pianist and répétiteur.

The opera traces Thatcher’s journey from a grocer’s daughter to the world’s most famous and divisive politician, setting key moments from her premiership against the emotional arc of her rise and fall.