As well as entertaining the masses down at Halfway to Heaven every Friday, Rotherham’s greatest showbiz export Myra DuBois is about to launch her brand new fringe show. ‘Turning’ sees Myra send-up one of the most polarising political leaders of the 20th century, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This one-woman show promises to be a musical romp, coated in cutting DuBois-style satire. Jason Reid was chomping at the bit to find out more, so this week we packed him off for milk and biscuits with the great lady (and yes, she snatched his milk)…
Hiya love, so the obvious question first, why did you decide to base this new show around Margaret Thatcher?
I didn’t. Thatcher chose me. This might come as a surprise to you and it might be worth telling your readers to sit down before reading this interview, but when Thatcher died a piece of her soul broke off and nestled itself in me. A bit like Voldemort did with Harry Potter. I first noticed it when my tolerance for minorities lowered. That, and it turns out I can do a bit of an impression.
She was a very strong and powerful woman, a bit like yourself. Do you think this drew you to her?
Well, I think it’s more of the case that Thatcher was drawn to ME because I’M a strong, powerful woman. Well, I’m not sure about the ‘powerful’. There are two or three bars in corners of London where I can blag the occasional free gin – but I suppose all power is relative.
Was she hard to master? And how did you go about perfecting the caricature?
Oh, she was easy. You see, Meryl (she lets me call her that) did all the groundwork and I just copied her.
You saw The Iron Lady then? What did you make of it?
Yes, I did. And it had our Meryl in it, didn’t it? So, how could it possibly fail? Give that woman a wig and a bit of an accent and she’ll spin you some magic.
There’s plenty of material to play with from Thatcher’s long and varied life, but which period interests you the most?
The Thatcher period that interests me most? [drums fingers]. I think it’d have to be her final months as a recluse at the Ritz. I mean, THE RITZ! That’s rather fabulous isn’t it? I think someone should write a play about just that; Thatcher in her dotage, alone in the most posh bedsit going, in a piss stained eiderdown, with a loose grip on reality? WONDERFUL.
As someone with a strong opinion on most things yourself, what was your take on her as a politician/leader?
Well, needless to say as a woman from the North vaguely involved in the arts, I’m a pesky lefty. I suppose this means I take the polar view on everything she ever said, thought, or did. Oh, except for the Ritz! I liked her style there!
Do you think she left a legacy?
She did and he was called Tony Blair.
Another thing people remember Thatcher for were those, at times, bizarre quotes, such as: “We are a grandmother”; do you have a favourite?
Yes, mine is from the film, in the very first scene, which I thought really humanised her: “How much for the milk?”
I can’t let you go without asking about your weekly residency at Halfway to Heaven…
Too right, Jason! Don’t you go letting your readers forget I’m a woman and entertainer in me own right! Make sure you plug the Fridays. The fun (as they say) starts at 9.30ish. Me doing a turn at the start of the night, plus a different performer from the cabaret stable each week. Ask manager Angel who the guests are. I don’t know. I just show up and DAZZLE.
• Myra DuBois is at Halfway to Heaven (7 Duncannon Street, WC2N 4JF) every Friday. Upcoming guests include Dave Lynn on the 16th May and Son Of a Tutu on the 23rd.
• Her show Turning is at Komedia, 44 Gardner Street, Brighton from 23-30th May. Tickets: www.komediabrighton.ticketsolve.com
