A musical comedy about the miners’ strike by Chumbawamba founder member Boff Whalley is coming to North Yorkshire on new tour.
We’re Not Going Back will mark the 40th anniversary of the 1984/85 miners’ dispute, and is told through the eyes of three sisters.
On its re-boot tour around the North of England, the musical will visit a couple of North Yorkshire venues – Selby Town Hall on Thursday 4 July and Ripon Arts Hub on Saturday 6 July.
It’s a collaboration between Red Ladder Theatre Company and Unite the Union, and follows a sell-out spring tour.
The musical was originally commissioned ten years ago, and writer Boff Whalley explains why he chose to focus on the women’s stories.
“I didn’t want it to be about miners and cops fighting on picket lines. I wanted it to be about the women who embodied the spirit and passion of the times,” he said.
“Myself and original director Rod Dixon met with some of the women involved in the Women Against Pit Closures support groups. They were hilarious, fantastic, full of stories – some of which made their way into the play.”
Victoria Brazier, Claire O’Connor, Stacey Sampson and Beccy Owen will be reprising their original roles.
Director Elvi Piper said: “The shockwaves of the strike have shaped the lives of generations to come, and the experiences of the play’s characters 40 years ago are eerily and frustratingly familiar today.
“I hope audiences will leave this show inspired, outraged, smiling, swearing and singing – entertained, affected and even ‘changed’ by the art on the stage in front of them.”
For more information and to book your tickets, visit the Red Ladder Theatre Company website.