Pitmen Painters

[Dancer]

I shall be, on January 4th

[Westletonion]

I saw it for a third time at the National Theatre last Sunday to a completely packed audience. Perhaps its brilliance may be due, at least in part, to the fact that it has had the same cast since it started. No sign of Trevor Fox. I wonder if he ever did join the cast? Do see it if you haven't - that is if you can get a ticket! And as has been mentioned - spot the similarities in dialogue with Billy, even down to the name of Susan Parkes. I understand it will be opening in Broadway at some point.

[Dancer]

No sign of Trevor Fox. I wonder if he ever did join the cast?

Westletonion, when I saw the play on 4th January Trevor Fox played the part of Oliver Kilbourn due to the indisposition of Christopher Connel. Trevor and the rest of the cast were superb and there were many lines that had appeared in Billy. It was good to see Trevor again and he was very neatly groomed, sporting a short back and sides haircut and was clean shaven! A thoroughly enjoyable evening that was played to a packed theatre.

[Westletonion]

Thanks Dancer for that information. I would like to have seen Trevor in that role.

[andrewcraig]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/arts/ ... I_BRF.html

By PATRICK HEALY; Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF
Published: January 21, 2010

The acclaimed London production of “The Pitmen Painters,” about a group of British miners who become artists, will transfer to the Broadway house of the Manhattan Theater Club in September, the theater company announced. The producer Bob Boyett had been aiming to mount the production on Broadway this spring but opted instead for an arrangement with the nonprofit Manhattan Theater Club to move the show to its 650-seat Samuel J. Friedman Theater. Mr. Boyett said the company had been courting him “in a big way” to do the show and that he had been unable to line up another Broadway house for a commercial run in time. Written by Lee Hall, who wrote the screenplay for the film “Billy Elliot” and the book and lyrics for the musical version now on Broadway, “The Pitmen Painters” had well-reviewed runs at Live Theater Newcastle and the National Theater in London, and it won the Evening Standard Award for best play in 2008. The original London cast, above, will perform in the Broadway production.

I fdound this marvellous video of the show, intervews with the cast , indepth discussion and actual scenes from the show

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid= ... =discover1

[ERinVA]

According to this article from Broadway World, The Pitmen Painters is going on tour in the UK before coming to the West End.

http://westend.broadwayworld.com/articl ... S_20110314

[porschesrule]

As was reported in this thread in May, the Pitman Painters production that has about completed its national tour will be moving to the Duchess Theatre in the West End in October:

http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatr ... 5+Oct.html

[patc]

OK, firstly to clarify, the correct name of this play is "The Pitmen Painters. I had always thought it was Pitman and the various promos/reviews varied in their naming policies.

I saw it a few years ago in the National Theatre and thought it was magnificent entertainment. Always wanting to see it again I went to the Duchess Theatre last night. It was even better this time for two reasons.

1. The smaller more intimate theatre seemed to suit it much better. Last time I was a good bit back from the stage whereas last night I was in Row G and was completely wrapped up in it from start to finish.

2. Two ex-Billy cast Trevor Fox and Joe Caffrey are main cast in it and, without any bias , I can say that both delivered brilliant tour-de-force performances and are on-stage almost all the time. The other members of the small cast are also superb.

An older "Susan Parks" has a somewhat, ahem, different role to play and the script contains some lines and phrases familiar to all of us that frequent the VPT.

A great evening's entertainment and fantastic to see Trevor and Joe in much meatier roles than they had in Billy. Lee Hall, take another bow.

Pat

[cws8998]

Also, cast a vote of confidence for this very fast paced, wonderfully acted show. Lots of Geordie dialogue and accents and very obvious Lee Hall influence. Saw it this past Sunday at the Time Line Theater in Chicago, in the round, (seating capacity, a hunderd) where the first row of the audience is within arms reach of the actors. Show has just been extended another month beyond previously announced closing date. Superbly executed. Colin

[Deanfan5]

This play is absolutely superb and one of the best plays I've ever seen! Loved it! Very funny throughout but with quite a thought provoking and sad ending. Go see it if you can!

Your statement nails how I feel about this thought provoking, funny and beautifully moving play that I went to see this afternoon. Accessibility to culture and daring to believe in your dreams is something sown into Lee Hall's soul as we see in this play and of course Billy Elliot. The acting is of the highest quality especially from our former Billy cast members Joe Caffrey (George- the trade unionist who abides by the rule book) and Trevor Fox (Oliver- the miner turned painter who finds his vocation and skill). It was a pleasure to meet them both later in a nearby cafe and hear that this play is extended to April 2012. if you have not seen it please go and see it as the experience is worth every penny to have a seat in this comfortable intimate theatre (The Duchess Theatre) and see this production. The ending certainly had me and many others in tears and brought home how vividly the working class have been sold down the river not only by the pit closures but also their political allies who have since written out of the Labour party constitution some of the values they stood for. First class entertainment.