Made in Dagenham, The Musical

As Keith Thomas explained in his excellent Director’s note in the programme, Made in Dagenham is based on a true story which took place in 1968, when close on 200 women sewing machinists at the Ford factory in Dagenham walked out in protest at the downgrading of their jobs to non-skilled, thus resulting in unequal pay with the men.  Eventually their strike was supported by the 15,000 male workers and halted all car production. It was a landmark labour relations dispute, ultimately triggering the passing of the Equal Pay Act 1970. The strike lasted three weeks and resulted in a deal that immediately increased the women’s rate of pay to 8% below that of men, rising to the full rate the following year.

It’s a topical subject which resonates today, with the revelations of unequal pay in the broadcasting industry, for starters.

The racy language used by the women, while perhaps seeming a bit over-the-top, was a true reflection of how life was on the shop floor in the 1960s and vividly demonstrated the story of these hardworking women who were the backbone of their families at that time. 1968 was an eventful year in history and the excellent timeline in the programme listed about 70 memorable events and people featured that year:  the Vietnam War; assassination of Martin Luther King; release of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey; London Bridge sold to an American; Paris student riots; Robert Kennedy shot.  What a year it was!

Without exception every member of the cast believed in their role and they acted it out to the very end.  It was hard to choose between the principals, the players, and the ensemble. Not a weak one amongst them.

Polly King as Rita O’Grady progressed from being self-effacing and unsure to a real firebrand, standing up to management and the Unions and carrying forward her commitment to and belief in the rightness of their grievances.  David Dray, her husband Eddie, was torn between love for his wife and the plight of his fellow workers. His song The Letter was very moving and beautifully sung. The Factory Machinists were all individual and lively characters and they interacted with each other most amusingly, exchanging their experiences each morning, when arriving for work, with very colourful language!  One felt rather sorry for Martin Chapman - Monty, the Union Steward - as he tried to reason with and placate the female staff while attempting to champion their cause with the management.  His love for Connie was very touching and his scene beside her empty bed in the hospital was poignantly played.

David Dray as Harold Wilson was superb. Surely, this was the real man brought back to life!  His looks, his walk, his voice, the pipe!  A brilliant performance and a strong singing voice.  Denise Hodgkiss was equally convincing as Barbara Castle and was the perfect foil for Dray’s Wilson.  She revealed her human side when inviting Rita and her friends to meet her in Westminster and sympathising with their cause. Her ‘frocks’ were spot-on and her song Ideal World was terrific.

The lyrics of the songs play an important part in telling the story but it was important to hear the words.  The diction by soloists and the ensemble was impeccable, every word crystal clear. The solo singing was very strong. The Cortina song, Joel Llufrio and his assistants, was hilarious and particularly memorable. The final number, Stand Up, had the audience on their feet.

Keith Thomas did a great job as Director, paying attention to every little detail and sticking to the genuine feel for the 1960s. He and the cast may have thought it was “great fun” but it was in fact a tour de force on his part. Godalming Theatre Group never disappoint and this was no exception. Made in Dagenham was a superb show. Congratulations to the whole team!

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