Made In Dagenham

When performing a show which depicts something from the history of this country the society needs to ensure everything is accurate as there will be people watching who will remember the original things happening.

Manor OS did just that when they performed Made in Dagenham at The City Hall in Sheffield, everything about it was accurate down to the finest details including the people of the times when the strike happened in Dagenham in the 1960s.

Every performance was slick, very well executed and entertaining, it also captured all the nuances of the day complete with costumes and props of the period.

The main character of this piece is Rita O’Grady who, starts the show as a mediocre housewife with two children but who ends up winning the day for her fellow workers and getting equal pay which in 1968 was a great achievement, it also led to The Equal Pay Act of 1970 which revolutionised many pay packets throughout the country.

In order to make Rita believable you need an excellent actor who can deliver the goods both in acting and singing, step forward Emily Mae Hoyland who was sensational, she really was the triple threat being equally at home singing, dancing and acting.

As well as a great performer in the role of Rita any society thinking about producing this show also needs to have another one for the role of Eddie O’Grady, Rita’s husband, here Manor had the perfect partner in the guise of James Smith, I have seen James in many roles over the years and he never fails to impress.

Making up the O’Grady household were Summer Griffin and Zach Rees as Sharon and Graham O’Grady, the two children of Rita and Eddie. These two certainly made their mark in this production and were able to make this family so very believable.

The action of this piece centres mainly around The Ford, Dagenham factory in Essex where we see all the local men and women who strive to make a living working in the various departments of that factory which also has a shop steward and works convenor. The role of Connie who is the work’s convenor for the factory was in the more than capable hands of Emma Flanagan, Connie has fought for the rights of the women in the factory but when it comes to her own fight against an incurable cancer show knows this is not a battle she will win. Emma was able to bring out all the pathos of this role to make her so believable that I am sure there will have been many tearful eyes in the audience each time she was lying in her hospital bed. Another role which requires a great actor is also that of Monty, the shop steward, Monty also fights for the workers’ rights but is also very fond of Connie and confesses to having a fling with her whilst at a conference some years earlier, Robert Spink was perfect for this part and as with Emma was able to get everything out of the role.

Two characters on this piece who will be very well known by people of a certain age are Harold Wilson, The Prime Minister of the day and Barbara Castle who became the employment minister of the time. Gary Rossiter was excellent as Prime Minister Wilson, being able to capture all the characteristics of the person and Emily McGeoch was also able to bring out all the fieriness of Barbara Castle who always spoke her mind. Both these actors brought these people to life, both being very funny at times and although very forthright at others.

There are many, many characters in this piece, far too many to name them all but all of them played their respective roles to make this so very believable for anyone in the audience whether they were around at the time or not.

The songs, of which there are many, all help to tell the story of the time and many are very dramatic, none more so than the final one Stand Up which Rita and the girls sing whilst at the TUC Conference in Eastbourne, this certainly gave out the message and around the auditorium I saw many women and some men who were so moved they were standing up in a mark of solidarity.

Of course, the songs are only a part of the story, the dancing was also equally captivating and only added to the overall enjoyment of the whole show.

Manor OS must be very proud of this production which will go down as an extremely memorable production in Sheffield.

 

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