A play which starts with the death of former Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher is set to open on a London stage to mark the 25th anniversary of the miners' strike Maggie's End, which is sponsored by trade unions including the National Union of Mineworkers, is described as a "dark comedy". It has been playing to sell-out audiences in north-east England.

A play which starts with the death of former Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher is set to open on a London stage to mark the 25th anniversary of the miners' strike Maggie's End, which is sponsored by trade unions including the National Union of Mineworkers, is described as a "dark comedy". It has been playing to sell-out audiences in north-east England.

The play, which will be performed at the Shaw Theatre next April, was written following press reports that Baroness Thatcher could be given a state funeral when she dies.

Trevor Wood, who co-wrote the play, said: "We wanted to explore what the possible repercussions of this could be, particularly in the north of England, where many communities were decimated during the Thatcher years.

"In the play, a former militant campaigner's sense of outrage over the betrayal brings him into conflict with his only daughter, who has risen through the ranks to become a senior minister in the New Labour government, and threatens to destroy his family.

"Maggie's End is really about the legacy of Thatcherism and examines how far the New Labour government has travelled from its traditional roots."