London (CNN) For someone lacking in theatricality, Theresa May has become the last woman standing in a political drama of Shakespearean proportions. Wednesday she'll take center stage as Britain's new prime minister following a Brexit vote which saw David Cameron resign, likely successor Boris Johnson "stabbed in the back" by allies, and leadership contender Andrea Leadsom throw in the towel amid controversial motherhood comments.
Topping May's unenviable to-do list as prime minister will be delivering Brexit -- in a country where 48% of the voters didn't ask for it.
Here's a look at what awaits the country's new leader.
Strike a Brexit deal
Theresa May must strike a deal with Europe -- and appease Brexiteers.
Despite being part of the Remain camp in the run-up to the referendum, May will push ahead with the UK's divorce from Europe "Brexit means Brexit," she said in typically no-nonsense style. The new prime minister must tread a difficult path between accessing Europe's tariff-free single market, appeasing Leave voters' immigration concerns, and keeping on friendly terms with European neighbors.
May will also be under pressure from EU leaders to make the separation snappy, with union leadersrefusing to negotiate until Britain invokes Article 50 thereby making the withdrawal official.
May says she's ready to roll up her sleeves for the daunting job ahead, reportedly telling colleagues: "Ken Clarke (Conservative politician) says I'm a bloody difficult woman.
"The next man to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker (president of the European Commission)."
Unite a divided nation...
Remain secured 48% of the vote -- not enough to secure victory.
The referendum result -- 52% Leave, 48% Remain -- highlighted a stark ideological divide cutting through Britain.
London and Scotland bucked the national trend -- voting Remain 60% and 62% respectively prompting some to call for their separation from the rest of the UK. While Scotland voted to remain part of the UK in 2014, with 55% of people voting against independence, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has now said another independence referendum could be on the tablefollowing Brexit.
May has so far ruled out a general election before 2020. Though whether she'll be able to heal the rift within the country without the mandate of its people remains to be seen.
...And a divided party
Boris Johnson (left) campaigned for Leave, while prime minister David Cameron supported Remain.
May's bid for the top job was fast-forwarded at breakneck speed on Monday after her sole rival -- Andrea Leadsom -- dropped out of the race.
The vote between May and Leadsom was supposed to go to the wider Conservative Party of 150,000 people, with the results announced on September 9.
By being the lone candidate, May sidestepped the party rule -- and packed her bags for 10 Downing Street this week. Boris Johnson, tipped to replace Cameron until he also ducked out of the race last month, was one of the high-profile members of parliament who backed fellow Leave campaigner Leadsom.
The new prime minister must now unite a party whose infighting over Europe prompted Cameron to call a referendum in the first place -- much to his spectacular downfall.
Fix the economy
The exchange rate for the pound plummeted following the referendum.
A top priority for the new prime minister will be making sure Britain's economy doesn't fall into recession.
The British pound crashed to its lowest levels in 31 years following the referendum, though it does appear to be climbing back.
Britain's credit ratings also tanked -- Fitch and S&P both issued downgrades, and Moody's lowered the outlook for UK banks to negative.
Meanwhile, rumors are swirling that multinational companies may leave the UK, taking jobs and money with them.
Combat racism
Photos of a racially abusive message, in Polish and English, distributed in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Friday June 24.
May also will need to control the kind of racist attacks which emerged in the days following the referendum.
Anti-immigrant leaflets saying "Leave the EU - no more Polish vermin" appeared on cars in Cambridgeshire in the east of England.
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