Pitmen Painters

Overview

The Pitmen Painters is about a bunch of miners who paint. I know what you are thinking. Painting miners? Yawn. But just bear with me because it is actually pretty cool. The Tony award-winning writer who brought us Billy Elliot has now created a production based on the true story of a group of Ashington miners. The play has thus far been successful over the globe since its debut in London’s West End in October 2011 and now it is set to wow Wellington in October.

At first glance the play is a comedy. It ticks all the comedic boxes, with numerous shallow gags, a few jokes that take a little extra thinking, and accents and 1930’s lingo that’ll have you in fits. But it also addresses deeper issues and bigger questions. The non-fiction story of your average mining bunch, who employ themselves an art appreciation tutor. The guys spend the following years learning to appreciate art through painting in their army hut. Their produced pieces end up being so expressive that a local shipping heiress takes a liking to their work and pushes them into the professional world of art.

The play is sentimental. It is serious and funny and expressive and analytical. You’ll be a little bit confused about your emotions upon the final curtain, but you’ll be entertained a lot, and you will never forget the story about the bunch of miners who paint.