Well known play written by Lee Hall, who wrote Billy Elliot, has received huge critical acclaim during seasons at the National Theatre and also did well on Broadway. It won the Evening Standard award for Best New Play. This is serious theatre and also funny.

The pitmen labour hard and play even harder as well.

Pitmen (miners) set in 1934, work hard underground and the light is very precious to them all as a daily experience. Maybe it's the reason that they give gusto to their out-of-pit activities. They race dogs, keep pidgeons, grow large vegetables and flowers, play golf, fly kites, join brass bands and do good parties. This play explores that gusto in relation to how they took on the job of creating paintings.

The play is funny and also pretty deep or poignant and raises the issues of how the poor can be as creative as the leisurely classes. The Ashington Miners - a true story - took their creative classes seriously and produced such good work that they had exhibitions of their work.

Only a few years later the group began to be acknowledged as the first school of "English working-class art".

How flying the socialist flag either detracts from or adds to a painting is hard to determine. Great art only came to be assocuated with the upper classes because they had the opportunity. With French impressionists and other schools it was noticed that the poorer classes did very well and many became very famous. So the working class argument is weak but the characters and culture of the pitmen painters is fascinating for many other reasons. It's romantic for a start.

THE STORY

It shows the irrepressible nature of art expression - when given half a chance. When a bunch of pitmen want to learn about art they are presented with art history as an introduction. Just imaging the pitmen looking all evening at renaissance nudes and domestic scenes heavily biased towards the idyllic. It did not take long to talk the teacher into giving them a go themselves. The academic approach to art history leaves a lot to be assumed.

To quote :
"There is not room here to do credit to this superb play and its actors. I suggest that you simply go and see it."
Quentin Letts -Daily mail

CAST

Christopher Connel, Deka Walmsley, David Whitaker, Brian Lonsdale and Trevor Fox from National and Broadway runs are joined by David Leonard, Caroline Faber and Viktoria Kay.

• Ian Kelly - Robert Lyon
• Michael Hodgson - Harry Wilson
• David Whitaker - Jimmy Floyd
• Brian Lonsdale - Young Lad/Ben Nicholson
• Trevor Fox - Oliver Kilbourn
• Joe Caffrey - George Brown

Creative

• Director - Max Roberts
• Design - Gary McCann
• Lighting Design - Douglas Kuhrt
• Sound Design - Martin Hodgson
• Book author -William Feaver
• Play and Screenplay - Lee Hall
• Producer - Bill kenwright