Pitmen Painters Headed to Blackpool

The National Theatre’s highly accalimed play The Pitmen Painters opens at the Blackpool Grand Theatre later this month. 

Originally produced by Newcastle’s acclaimed Live Theatre and following sell-out seasons at London’s renowned National Theatre and on Broadway, Bill Kenwright presents the award-winning play The Pitmen Painters written by Tony and Olivier award winner Lee Hall (creator of the worldwide sensation Billy Elliot).

In 1934 a group of miners from Woodhorn Colliery in Ashington, Northumberland, hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collections; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine. The band became known as the Ashington Group and despite their lack of professional training, their works, which reflected many aspects of life in the local community from working underground to washing day in the home, were snapped up by collectors and praised by connoisseurs.
 
Winner of the Evening Standard Best New Play award, The Pitmen Painters is a humorous and deeply moving production which takes a timely look at art, class and politics and demonstrates how a seemingly ordinary group of men can do extraordinary things.

The paintings created by The Ashington Group are a unique and precious record of days gone by. More than just a photographic record, these works help provide a glimpse into the everyday life of pitmen in the North of England. With great enthusiasm and talent they were able to illustrate their thoughts and feelings far more effectively through their art than they could ever put into words.

The Ashington Group were also the subject of a recent TV documentary The Pitmen Painters with Robson Green which aired on Sunday 8th May as part of the new television arts documentary series Perspectives. The actor told their fascinating story whilst exploring his own father’s life as a miner in Northumberland.

The Live Theatre Newcastle and National Theatre co-production of The Pitmen Painters is at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre from Monday 27th June to Saturday 2nd July. Monday at 8pm, Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday and Saturday matinee at 2pm.