Made in Dagenham

Based on the 2010 film: Made in Dagenham is inspired by the true story of a group of ground-breaking women factory workers at Ford in 1968 who started by asking for equal pay for equal work, and ended up making history. It’s a perhaps difficult concept for many looking back 54 years to a very different world where inequality was not only largely tolerated but also expected, and for the majority of the time, nobody batted an eyelid. In the time where women were thought of as so much less in the workplace, these women really did stand up, as the last song in the show so aptly says.

As soon as the curtains open you are transported to that time and the story is told through the main character: Rita O’Grady played by Michelle Bryant, who holds the audience beautifully and effortlessly throughout the whole show. She portrays the character with such warmth and authenticity that you completely believe you’re in the late 60’s witnessing her develop from somebody who keeps saying “oh I’m not political” to finding her strength to fight for what is right, and fair, for all women; for her daughter, for the future. She displays earthy courage with such gentleness as well as grit and determination.

The set is ingenious, with two multi-level platforms on either side of the stage which helps to give height and depth to the performance as well as help to accommodate the massive cast. Other piece of set are wheeled on in the middle. Some of the scenes are very brief and the two scene changes of one kitchen to another which were done as part of the show by cast while singing, which was really modern and worked brilliantly. It would have been good to see more scene changes, of which there were masses, achieved like this, in place of blackouts.

The music is catchy including a cheeky electric guitar solo supported from the orchestra and the entire cast and director should be congratulated on such a tight and well-rehearsed show, which certainly displays so much talent. The choreography was fantastic, everyone was in perfect time and created gorgeous pictures on the stage: particularly the women grouped together all reaching in different directions outwards was a truly lovely sight. The lyrics are particularly clever, funny and / or sweet in equal measures.

There were sadly many issues with sound: people’s microphones zoning in and out or seemingly not on and turned on half way through a line; plus some feedback. A few glitches can be overlooked but this was fairly constant through the whole show and it sadly detracted from the otherwise excellent quality production. There were lines that the audience missed hearing in so many of the songs it did at times become distracting. However, the cast should be congratulated on not once letting the sound problems interfere with their performance, and they rode through it like professionals.

There were some standout performances: Debbie Francis as Sandra and Anna Coote as Clare who have the most glorious voices, which it would have been lovely to hear more of, as well as wonderful acting, with some gorgeous detail added to their characters. Jennifer McLean playing the “effing” Beryl was hilarious and not just with the well timed swearing. Bill Kirwan as the Prime Minister, the man you love to hate, was absolutely spot on with his performance: treading the fine line between being the man who feels he is in an impossible situation, and being so sexist that it’s sleezy. Sleeze definitely belongs to the American played by Rob Thurgood who plays a heinous baddie extremely well. In fairness each of the cast could be singled out for their performances which helped to tell this amazing story but last special mention has to be Eddie O’Grady, Rita’s husband, played by James Edwards. His struggle with change, from a sexist background where wife at home does everything around the home despite them both working full time, his noting of everyone through the football team they support, the support he gives his wife in the beginning and then can’t cope any more turning into the most emotional performance of a song ever in “The Letter”. His anguish is palpable, Rita’s reaction is superb, you really feel him wrenching and wringing his soul out on the stage. An incredible performance, with much silent sobbing from the audience.

There is much to love about this musical and much to love and admire about Burgess Hill Musical Theatre Society’s telling of it. The added touch of the true story in the programme and the original archive footage projected at the end added such poignancy to an already captivating tale. A wonderful, quality show, where it was really very easy to “Stand Up”, as requested by Rita in her song at the end of the show, to show support and solidarity for all.

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