Viral video pokes fun at the way northerners are portrayed in musicals

As a journalist born and bred in Pudsey (near Leeds, often assumed to just be the name of a bear rather than an actual place), the depiction of northerners in musicals has long caused some eyebrow-raising.

The same seems to be the case for photographer and performer Em Humble (formerly a part of the the Leeds Tealights), who has compiled a series of amusing skits on how northerners are portrayed in stage shows.

While the obvious cultural touchpoint is Billy Elliot, other shows set in the north of England include Everybody's Talking About Jamie, The Last Ship and Blood Brothers.

Clearly Humble's video has struck a chord – it's had almost 4 million views since it was first posted on Twitter. You can watch it below.

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Every "Northern" character in a musical. pic.twitter.com/rYq1Ze0sQd