Made in Dagenham

Based on the 2010 film, this musical tells the true story of the sewing machinists at the Ford
car factory in Dagenham, who decide to go on strike initially due to their work being
downgraded but ultimately in an effort to get equal pay to the men. Set in 1968, it is a period
of time remembered by some in the audience and includes some notable characters from the
period.

The set was well conceived with the numerous scene changes handled efficiently and at
good pace. The sewing workshop will have been challenging to recreate but this all looked
very impressive and in keeping with the period setting. The props team had clearly had a lot
of work to do, most notably in constructing the front section of a newly launched Ford Cortina
model! There was also great attention to detail in costuming the cast with a delightful
assortment of 1960s fashion adding much colour and interest to the stage.

The leading character, Rita O’Grady, was played by an exceptional actress and singer who
moved effortlessly from housewife and mother to reluctant trade union activist and sex
equality campaigner, delivering her rallying speeches to the TUC conference in Eastbourne
with real passion but also showing her softer, more sensitive side as she tries to balance her
home life with her new role. This was a really stand-out performance.
Her two children, Graham and Sharon, were delightful with good clear voices and both gave
confident performances.

Rita’s fellow machinists were a strong, gutsy group of women with individually drawn
characters which were well portrayed. The Essex accents were convincing and the comedy
banter between them was handled skilfully. Vocally they produced a terrific sound, with
some lovely harmonies. Clare in particular showed great characterisation and used her facial
expressions well to convey her goofiness. The men also did a great job of playing an
assortment of characters working at the factory.

The Factory Management, led by Mr Hopkins, have to deliver some quite tricky language at
times, with extremely outdated views about women in the workplace. It was certainly an
uncomfortable reminder of what it was like in the 60’s for women and how things have
progressed. However, they delivered their lines well and highlighted the misogynistic
attitudes that were rife at the time.

Connie, the union shop steward and Rita’s mentor, had lovely clear diction and a fine singing
voice. Likewise, Monty, the other union leader who wasn’t always on the side of the girls,
gave a very believable, sensitive performance as he tried to keep both sides happy. We also
understood his devastation when his secret love Connie unexpectedly succumbed to cancer.

Eddie, Rita’s husband, was also an extremely intelligent and thoughtful portrayal and
provided one of the most poignant and emotional moments in the show when he sang ‘The
Letter’. During the number we saw a heartbroken Rita reading the letter and realising her
new role had come at the expense of her marriage. It was beautifully sung with real heart and
we could clearly see that he was finding it hard to balance the love he had for his wife with
his outdated views of a woman’s place being in the home.

I particularly enjoyed the performances from Barbara Castle and Harold Wilson who provided
some great moments of humour with their tongue in cheek performances.
Lisa Hopkins, the boss’s wife with a social conscience, was also well acted and provided a
nice contrast to the factory girls.

The choreography was impressive with strong patterns and a good assortment of moves.
The opening to Act 2 was particularly effective as Mr Tooley, the brash American, sings ‘This
is America’ with an ensemble in patriotic American costumes and waving flags.

The hard work of the Musical Director was clear to see with some strong vocals and
wonderful harmonies in the ensemble numbers. A very good band consisting of eight players
did justice to the up tempo 1960s pop and rock style score and produced a fabulous sound
throughout.
Likewise, the Director kept the action moving along at a good pace with well worked out
scene changes that did not stop the flow of the piece and some detailed characterisation
from the excellent cast. This was a very enjoyable production with plenty of humour
alongside uplifting speeches about doing what is right and showing what ordinary people can
achieve when they work together. Congratulations to all involved on a great evening of
entertainment.
Delia Lee
NB The comments above solely form the view of the representative attending and only reflect
the performance seen.
 

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