CLOSE THE COALHOUSE DOOR Touring

Anybody reading George Orwell’s stark and unforgettable essay, Down a Mine, would instinctively feel all mines should be shut down immediately. But, ironically, if you see Alan Plater’s play today, you will feel they should have stayed open. Plater (1935-2010), an instinctive socialist, who is probably best known for his work on television, described his adaptation of the stories of Sid Chaplin, as “a hymn of unqualified praise to the miners who created a revolutionary weapon without having revolutionary intent.” The script, a mixture of political tract, scrapbook and folk songs by Alex Glasgow, offers a potted history of the miners union and their strikes from 1831 to 1968. It is a record of the exploitation of the miners and their very young children and the double dealings of the politicians and the mine owners. It was written in the once-popular Joan Littlewood music hall manner which allows the actors to constantly engage with the audience directly. It is elegiac, satirical, compassionate; and funny, too, when they sing “As soon as the pub closes the Revolution starts.” Premiered in Newcastle in 1968 it had an instant cult following. The miners came in their coach loads. Lee Hall, author of Billy Elliott and The Pitmen Painters, has done some tinkering with the text and has provided some additional material for the present enjoyable revival by Sam West for Northern Stage and Live Theatre, which is acted by an ensemble of nine actor-musicians with affection and gusto.