T is for THATCHER One of the biggest horrors we’ve seen this country face in our lifetime (the same period covered by The Horror Show!) is the old milk-snatcher-in-chief, Margaret Thatcher. Arguably more destructive for the vile and monstrous creatures she’s inspired (looking at you, Liz), her neo-liberal policies failed to deliver even on her own terms, and her legacy continues to affect millions, every day. When the satirical puppet show ‘Spitting Image’ launched in 1984, Thatcher was one of the key characters. We’re excited to have one of the original moulded latex puppets in the exhibition. Although her press secretary insisted she hated the show, Edwina Currie claimed Maggie loved it “because she realised very quickly that their image of her as the best man in the cabinet was one to pursue.” Spitting Image was a safety valve for a country desperately in need of letting off steam. Musicians are particularly good at speaking truth to power. The Beat’s brilliantly upbeat protest song ‘Stand Down Margaret’ addressed the hypocrisy of Thatcher presenting herself as the last great hope of the British Empire. ‘Ghost Town’ by their 2-Tone label mates The Specials expertly chronicles the urban decay and unemployment resulting from Thatcher’s aggressive economic policies. Thatcher gave us trickle-down economics when Liz Truss was still in nursery. She broke the unions, fought the miners, dismantled society and raged a class war. The anarchist newspaper ‘Class War’ fought back, blatantly building on the aesthetics of punk artists like Jamie Reid to create unforgettable covers like the vampiric ‘Cut Out Thatcher Horror Mask’ issue. Thatcher was also skewered viciously in the mainstream press. When the Observer commissioned Ralph Steadman to cover the Tory party conference he took Polaroid pictures, manipulating the emulsion with a pencil before it dried. We’re delighted to have some of his original ‘Thatcher Paranoids’ in The Horror Show! The Horror Show! @SomersetHouse opens in 7 days Tickets on sale. Link in bio Alphabet typography by @BarnbrookStudio #TheHorrorShow #Thatcher #SpittingImage #TheBeat #Specials #ClassWar #RalphSteadman