Brassed Off

The fictional story of the miners of Grimley whose pit was threatened with closure was moving and well delivered. It clearly showed its effects on the community. Attendance at brass band practices gave the men a focus while their wives supported their men with resistance to the closure. The stark stage setting with the colliery wheel as the focal point looming over the action, was a continual and effective reminder of what they were and did. The wire basket lockers and the central door as the mine shaft entrance became just as effective in the home setting and practice hall. The gloominess of their environment and the inevitability of the closure was offset by the talented cast whose humour and banter oiled the wheels of the play. The opening sequence with the men miming playing instruments was extremely realistic - the blowing into, and the finger work on, their instruments and the timing and actions of the drummer were so convincing. What a work went into that. All the players showed depth of character with fine timing in delivery and humour. The situation was explained by a young narrator Shane (Christopher O’Donnell) who tried to keep things together but whose own family was split by events. Jamie Wright gave his all as the anxious and desperate father Phil as did Clare Withnell as the struggling and determined mother Sandra. Both conveyed their frustration and despair as they tried to keep their family-Shane, young Melody (Olivia Bremner) and young Craig (Mac Smith) - together. The audience felt those emotions when the bailiffs took everything. As Phil’s father Danny, Stephen Corrall evoked admiration and sympathy as he exemplified the determination of fulfilling his life’s dream to win the brass band competition in London despite the onset of illness. His disappointment at the band’s previous unruly behaviour and his satisfaction at their success was palpable. Young lives were also stymied where Lauren Mason, as Gloria, displayed hope and confidence in her mining report, joined the band as a wonderful Flugelhorn player and found joy in the relationship with Andy but was then let down by the bosses. Andy who was ably played by Robbie Small showed how his young idealism was visibly eroded by events. In other families, Rita and Harry and Vera and Jim demonstrated the banter, resilience and collapse of the community: Carol Sutherland with well timed lines conveyed Rita as a force to be reckoned with her determination to support the miners which contrasted with Andrew Mackie depicting her deadpan and world weary husband Harry; meanwhile as Vera, Moira Davies delivered a gentler, knowing character against her more outspoken, combative husband Jim with Roddy Bain exploring this more complex role - both men vacillating on strike action and pay. The rest of the cast, miners, wives, band members and bailiffs, and with Gary Withnell as duplicitous mine owner, all worked as a realistic community with key moments on the bus home and on the results of the ballot. The characters all developed in the course of the play, believable and engrossing. The play on words of the title was clearly exemplified by their behaviours. This was a class act and rightfully appreciated by the audience.

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