Presented by Therry Theatre
Reviewed 18th August 2022
The Pitmen Painters is brought to life onstage by Therry Theatre.
This wonderful play was written by Lee Hall in 2007 and is based on a true story of the 1930s. Set in Ashington, England, it is the tale of how a group of five miners learnt how to appreciate art, by enrolling in a local WEA course.
Performed at the Arts Theatre, the play is well performed with all actors’ voices projecting perfectly, accent and all. This is important as the script is dialogue heavy and the distinction between the accents of the Ashington folk to other characters in the play are indicative of their class distinction.
Although there are some serious undertones there is much humour throughout the entire performance. Some of the themes the play touches upon in the context of discussing one’s art are politics, perspective, wealth, war, and access to education. Overall, The Pitmen Painters is about chasing your dreams, inspiration, and what art means – who should own it, what defines an artist, and how art can change lives.
The play does include projections of the Pitmen Painters’ (and other artists’) actual artwork as part of the performance, which adds to the authenticity. The costumes and absence of bright colours on the set stage the era well.
Directed by Geoff Brittain (who previously directed Of Mice and Men for Therry), the miners are taught by Robert Lyon, perfectly bought to life by Christopher Leech. The most promising student of the class is Oliver Kilbourn, performed by Jack Robins, who does a great job of demonstrating both an earnest passion for art as well as giving the required air of slight naivete.
The remaining cast has Sam Wiseman as George Brown, Andrew Horwood as Harry Wilson, and Ben Nicholson as Nicholas Mitchell. Liam James makes an excellent debut performance as the ‘Young Lad’, and again for Therry, is Of Mice and Men’s Adam Schultz as Jimmy Floyd. The two ladies of the play are Anita Canala as art collector Helen Sutherland, and Veronika Wlodarczyk as live art model Susan Parks.
Suitable for any audience, coming along to watch The Pitmen Painters is a great night out for these cold winter evenings.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
Venue: The Arts Theatre
Season: 17th – 27th August 2022
Duration: 3 hours
Tickets: $15-$30.00
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/927789
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