PICK Me Up Theatre’s cast for the York premiere of Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters is in place following auditions on April 12.
North Eastern playwright Lee Hall’s award-winning play tells the true story of a group of miners in Ashington, Northumberland, in the 1930s who decide to study art appreciation in evening classes. They go on to become prolific painters themselves and are soon the toast of the British art world.
Director Robert Readman says: “The pitmen were ordinary men who did extraordinary things: they became friends with the avant-garde artists of the time and their work was bought up by prestigious collectors.
They painted by night and worked at the mine by day.
“Lee Hall created a real masterpiece with The Pitmen Painters. It’s laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish, it’s constantly thought-provoking and it’s immensely moving.”
Hall, best known for writing Billy Elliot, penned The Pitmen Painters for Newcastle’s Live Theatre in 2007. It went on to enjoy sell-out success at the National Theatre, in the West End and on Broadway and its tours visited Leeds Grand Theatre in 2011, with York Theatre Royal pantomime favourite David Leonard appearing as art tutor Robert Lyons, and Harrogate Theatre in 2013, when fellow panto regular Suzy Cooper played wealthy art collector Helen Sutherland.
York, however, had missed out on Hall’s drama until Readman secured the rights for a production run from May 5 to 9 at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.
“I know York audiences will love The Pitmen Painters. It deals with big powerful themes but, just like Billy Elliot, it does it in a way that’s hugely entertaining and heart-warming and makes for a great night out,” he says.
Readman’s cast features Craig Kirby, Martin Rowley, Bill Laverick, Riley Anderson and Graham Mitchell as the miners who become known as the Ashington Group of painters, capturing every aspect of life around their mining community in paint.
Mark Hird plays Lyons, the tutor who encourages the miners to start painting after his initial teaching method fails; Susannah Baines takes the role of Helen Sutherland, who befriends the miners; and Katie Glover plays Susan Parks, who shocks the miners when she turns up to pose nude for the group.
Tickets for the 7.30pm evening shows and 2.30pm matinee on the last day are on sale on 01904 623568 or at pickmeuptheatre.com
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