Review: Close The Coalhouse Door, Northern Stage
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| A revamp of Close The Coalhouse Door had its world premiere in Newcastle this week |
A REVAMP of Close The Coalhouse Door had its world premiere in Newcastle this week. Entertainment Editor Gordon Barr was there on opening night.
THEATRE in Education is a great thing ...but here you have education within theatre.
Close The Coalhouse Door was a huge success when it first premiered in Newcastle back in 1968.
Written by Alan Plater with songs by Alex Glasgow, it saw miners foregoing their trips to St James’ Park to see the Toon in favour of sitting in a darkened theatre to watch socialist drama. Such was the power of Plater’s work, it attracted the masses from the mining villages who had never witnessed this art form before, believing it to be more for those ‘Jesmond types’. Those Jesmond types still come in for some ridicule in this new version of the play, directed by Samuel West with additional material by Lee Hall.
While times may have moved on, at the heart of this production is that we should never forget our past and what we get is in fact a history lesson on the struggles of our mining communities ... perhaps the biggest legacy of how life in the region, and its people, was shaped.
Written before the blackouts of the 70s and the miners strike of the 80s, the big question was how would Lee Hall update it to take that into account.
He does so in very clever ways – audiences are met with a big publicity poster of The Iron Lady in front of the ‘coalhouse’ backdrop before any drama actually begins. At the end of the performance, we are left in no doubt about the impact of the 70s and 80s, without detracting from the main body of the play whatsoever – the ending sequence a stroke of sheer genius, bringing us bang up to date with our call centre culture of today.
The body of the work is predominantly Plater’s and takes us through the strikes, strife, traumas and political fighting of our mining communities from the 1830s to 1960s. It has heart, it has soul, it has guts, its has pathos ... it also has humour and wonderful musical moments too.
There is a superb link from the end of act one into the interval, just one of numerous interjections that makes the audience feel they are a part of the drama too.
A true ensemble piece, Chris Connel, David Nellist, Adam Barlow, Nicholas Lumley, Louisa Farrant, Jane Holman, Tarek Merchant, Jack Wilkinson and Paul Woodson excel throughout.
A co-production between Live Theatre and Northern Stage – playing at the latter until May 5 – this remains a triumphant piece of theatre.
It is also a striking piece of education that all generations should see, learn and benefit from.
THEATRE in Education is a great thing ...but here you have education within theatre.
Close The Coalhouse Door was a huge success when it first premiered in Newcastle back in 1968.
Written by Alan Plater with songs by Alex Glasgow, it saw miners foregoing their trips to St James’ Park to see the Toon in favour of sitting in a darkened theatre to watch socialist drama. Such was the power of Plater’s work, it attracted the masses from the mining villages who had never witnessed this art form before, believing it to be more for those ‘Jesmond types’. Those Jesmond types still come in for some ridicule in this new version of the play, directed by Samuel West with additional material by Lee Hall.
While times may have moved on, at the heart of this production is that we should never forget our past and what we get is in fact a history lesson on the struggles of our mining communities ... perhaps the biggest legacy of how life in the region, and its people, was shaped.
Written before the blackouts of the 70s and the miners strike of the 80s, the big question was how would Lee Hall update it to take that into account.
He does so in very clever ways – audiences are met with a big publicity poster of The Iron Lady in front of the ‘coalhouse’ backdrop before any drama actually begins. At the end of the performance, we are left in no doubt about the impact of the 70s and 80s, without detracting from the main body of the play whatsoever – the ending sequence a stroke of sheer genius, bringing us bang up to date with our call centre culture of today.
The body of the work is predominantly Plater’s and takes us through the strikes, strife, traumas and political fighting of our mining communities from the 1830s to 1960s. It has heart, it has soul, it has guts, its has pathos ... it also has humour and wonderful musical moments too.
Spread over three acts, each is so compelling it feels like it lasts half the time, with the subject matter resonating with anyone with North East connections.
There is a superb link from the end of act one into the interval, just one of numerous interjections that makes the audience feel they are a part of the drama too.
A true ensemble piece, Chris Connel, David Nellist, Adam Barlow, Nicholas Lumley, Louisa Farrant, Jane Holman, Tarek Merchant, Jack Wilkinson and Paul Woodson excel throughout.
A co-production between Live Theatre and Northern Stage – playing at the latter until May 5 – this remains a triumphant piece of theatre.
It is also a striking piece of education that all generations should see, learn and benefit from.
Read More http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/entertainment-in-newcastle/theatre/2012/04/20/review-close-the-coalhouse-door-northern-stage-72703-30802471/#ixzz1sbNHSH00
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