LADS presents

Hansard

Hansard is a witty, devastating drama set in 1988 during the passing of Thatcher’s Section 28. It follows a Tory politician and his sharp-tongued, left-leaning wife whose 30 year marriage unravels over one summer day.

Returning to their Cotswold home after a BBC Question Time debate, Robin Hesketh finds his wife, Diana, unreceptive, and a familiar marital sparring session begins. However, as the day progresses, political differences, alcohol, and the passing of legislation that outlaws the “promotion” of homosexuality, escalates their bickering into a searing confrontation. Forcing them to confront a past, buried tragedy that binds them together just as much as their conflicting worldviews tear them apart.

The title, Hansard, refers to the official written record of Parliamentary debates. The play operates on this dual level, capturing both the explosive, public-school bravado of Conservative politics and the painful, unspoken secrets that the couple use as weapons against one another.