Painting an entertaining picture of pitmen

Photo: Darren Robinson

HERE beginneth the first lesson: the tutor (Cliff Burnett, gives the pitmen a lesson that will change their lives.

The Pitmen Painters, Oldham Coliseum, to Feb 27

A PLAY about a group of Workers Educational Association miners in the Thirties who take up art appreciation to better themselves? A bit dry, maybe?

Not a bit of it — especially when you know the man behind “The Pitmen Painters” is writer Lee Hall, the guy who wrote “Billy Elliot”, adapted “Shakespeare in Love” for the stage and created a few other brilliantly entertaining shows besides.

“The Pitmen Painters” is a sweetly written, funny and sentimental piece about aspiration and creativity, with a great bunch of characters. It’s more light dramedy than anything; comic with serious intent.

The Ashington Group — which really existed — formed to do art appreciation, but turned to painting and among its members were some real talents. The group went on to have serious exhibitions in major galleries.

Kevin Shaw’s production for the Coliseum draws out all the comedy but has a lot of heart too; the confection is snappy, smart, and despite being about miners stumbling through the darkness of their creative natures, never condescends either to the characters or the audience.

Foxton’s set is a terrific mix of dingy hut, studios and galleries, much of the interest coming from the paintings and other set pieces projected on screens that allow us to see the artists’s works better (the paintings are all genuine Ashington group art).

The show’s faults are minor and Lee Hall’s: he goes on a bit, particularly in the second half; one or two of the characters are rather too much the stereotypes we might expect — tin-pot Communist Harry, is one and rulebook-loving organiser George the other; but both are generally the butt of the jokes, so that’s okay.

And there are a couple of scenes when the miners are completing each other’s sentences so much you’d think they were all married — to each other. But as I say, minor things.

Performances are strong: Simeon Truby has a nice mix of intelligence and diffidence as Oliver, while James Quinn is all Red epigrams as Harry. Cliff Burnett puts on his best Bill Nighy vocal mannerisms as the class teacher, Lyon, while Jim Barclay is entertainingly apoplectic as rulebook-loving official George. Helen Kay is also rather good as the local lady of the manor and art collector, Helen Sutherland.

Truth is this is a greatly entertaining show; if only there were more of them around, because they are exactly the sort of thing the Coliseum does well.