In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collections; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine. Examining the lives of a group of ordinary men that do extraordinary things, The Pitmen Painters is a humorous, deeply moving and timely look at art, class and politics. Running time 2 hours 40 minutes including interval| 27 Jan 09 to 14 Apr 09 | Lyttelton (National Theatre) West End, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive |
