The Pitmen Painters, by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) looks at the lives of a group of miners in the noth-eastern town of Ashington whose lives are changed by taking part in an art appreciation class, becoming a renown group of artists themselves. Entry Pass reviews Daniel Shaw and Kohinoor Sahota saw the show on press night and give their reviews below:

The National Theatre is no stranger to The Pitmen Painters. Transferring from the Live Theatre Newcastle to the Cottesloe in 2008, it is now enjoying it's second revival run, before embarking on a nationwide tour at the end of the month. It will then return yet again to the Lyttelton on 1 December 2009 for a remarkable third run.

Written by Lee Hall, of Billy Elliot fame, The Pitmen Painters documents (albeit with a degree of artistic licence) the inception and development of the Ashington Group; arguably the first collective of working class artists. Set around Ashington Colliery, all of it's members are miners, or associated with their community. A far-ranging mix of age and attitude, they come together every Monday for The Workers Educational Association class. The latest subject is Art Appreciation, and Robert Lyon (Ian Kelly) has been hired to tutor the group. At a loss as to how to start, Lyon barrages the group with slides of High Renaissance works, in order to force some form of revelation. When this fails. he takes a different tack: he gets the men to paint. The rest, is not only history, but also an evocative, emotive, and inspiring glimpse into the difficult lives of these ‘ordinary' men.

Hall offers a well balanced blend of light-hearted humour, and sobering matter-of-factness. As such, the audience is constantly nurtured at either end of the emotional spectrum.

Despite the fact that The Pitmen Painters has been on stage in some form or another for two years this month, the majority of the original cast from the Newcastle Live Theatre premiere remain in place. Accordingly, it is not surprising that the play flows beautifully. Fierce exchanges ricochet around the stage with impeccable timing, emotions are heartfelt, and delivery crisp. The latter in particular is worthy of note as the majority of the characters make broad use of northern dialect, and this never falters.

Ian Kelly appears to fall effortlessly into the role of the artistic and awkward Robert Lyon. Be it light-hearted banter, sorrow, or anger, Kelly plays it appropriately. Phillippa Wilson gives a regal, but controlled performance as Helen Sutherland. However, the true heart of the play lies in the chemistry between it's four main characters: George Brown (Deka Walmsley), Jimmy Floyd (David Whitaker), Harry Wilson (Michael Hodgson) and Oliver Kilbourn (Christopher Connel). Their blend of light-hearted sparring, blunt statement, and compassion truly marks the core. We may not always agree with what is being said, but, as an audience, we endear ourselves to them, and empathise with their situation. The earnest, and bold contributions by Brian Lonsdale (Ben Nicholson/ Young Lad), and Lisa McGrillis (Susan Parks) serve to show that every member of the cast deserves their place.

Lee Hall has successfully taken the diligent observations of William Feaver, and transformed them into a remarkable piece of theatre. Not only is it entertaining, and poignant in parts, it also forces it's audience to ask; what is art, why does it exists and above all; who can create it?

Daniel Shaw

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Billy Eilliot's recent win of ten Tony Awards in America is a testament to Lee Hall's brilliance, and how a story largely about class struggle can have a universal appeal. In the Pitmen Painters Hall works his magic on the true story about the Ashington Group in 1934, a group of miners who hire a Durham lecturer to teach them art appreciation. They go on to produce paintings of industrial life that critics love, have exhibitions in London, and gain rapid fame.

How do you appreciate art, and who can appreciate art? These are just some of the questions asked by the play. Feelings are universal, and the groups teacher Mr. Lyon is adamant that "anyone can paint", meaning so too can anyone, even a miner, appreciate art. The play begins with a humorous first half (when the group are told Helen has come for modern art, one of the members responds "you've come to the right place, these were all painted last week"), and it gracefully moves into a poignant second half with Oliver who is artistically gifted but faces challenges with his own class struggle.

Hall adapts William Feaver's book superbly, and Max Robert's direction is equally good. The staging is stripped down to only five main cast members, five chairs, scattered paintings, and a screen to display work to the audience that the group talk about. The understated set is spot on allowing the high emotion, quick dialogue, and witty remarks to shine.  It is ultimately Hall's characterisation of the group that makes the play: they have a thirst for knowledge, working class spirit, and extreme likeability. The subjects are tackled with great sensitivity, you are never laughing at them, instead you are rooting for the miners to overcome obstacles either imposed by society or upon themselves.

The play returns to the National Theatre before a tour across the UK and Ireland. It is highly recommended, having won the Evening Standard Best Play award, too, this is a must-see. A beautiful masterpiece. 

Kohinoor Sahota