Review of Brassed Off – a heartwarming tale of coal and coal moves Yorkshire audiences to tears | Theater

MeIt’s odd that so many stories about Yorkshire never happened Leeds Playhouse. This is done with grit and personality by director Amy Leach and her perfect production of Paul Allen’s screenplay based on Mark Herman’s 1996 film.

The Playhouse’s Quarry theater is a large, unassuming venue that calls for great storytelling. With a name that suggests they were dug out of the earth, it’s easy to see why Leach thought the story of a colliery was the best of the times.

The most interesting part of the design is the amazing view that it creates with the design of Katie Scott, the many metal steps that lead to the big wheels of the mine on the ground. The dramatic opening sees men hewing coal and pretending to raise the flag on Iwo Jima. It’s the right idea: what follows is a fight for jobs, respect, pride and, in some cases, lives.

Although Margaret Thatcher was the main opponent of the story in the mid-90s, the production adds political speeches and images of several recent ministers, from Boris Johnson to Rishi Sunak, saying that the more it changes for the working classes in the north. The “ordinary working people” are still at the bottom of the slag heap.

The play tells the story of Grimley Colliery and the copper industry associated with it. When the mine is threatened with closure, and the men vote to do or accept their fate, the question that arises before them is: if the mine is closed, will the team play?

You almost know the ending. The voice aims to promote brass music, and Leach has also recruited members of the Horbury Victoria and Wakefield Metropolitan brass bands to boost the numbers of musicians. When they play, everyone’s chest in the hall swells again.

There are times when the story lacks nuance, but with things Leach does a good job of leading Danny’s (David Birrell) team, both angry Yorkshireman; the brilliant Danielle Henry as Sandra Fear; and the ever-reliable Andy Cryer as Jim who, like many in the audience, is moved to tears and brass following the denouement.