The Pitmen Painters

The National Theatre's production of Lee Hall's play The Pitmen Painters in London following a sell-out run at the National Theatre and a three month season on Broadway.

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 – prolifically. Within a few years avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collectors; but every day they continued to work, as before, down the mine...

Full of humour, drama and revelation, Lee Hall's The Pitmen Painters - inspired by a book by William Feaver - won the Evening Standard Award for Best New Play. This is the original production directed by Max Roberts, with set and costume design by Gary McCann, lighting by Douglas Kuhrt and sound by Martin Hodgson, and featuring many of the actors who starred at the National Theatre and on Broadway.

The Pitmen Painters was originally staged in London at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre where it previewed from 19 May 2009, opened on 21 May 2008 and closed on 25 June 2008 before transferring to the NT's Lyttelton Theatre from 27 January 2009 to 14 April 2009, returning from 2 to 22 September 2009, returning from 2 December 2009 to 7 February 2010. The production transferred to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York's Broadway previewed from 14 September 2010, opened on 30 September 2010 and closed on 12 December 2010. Prior to this West End presentation, the production toured the UK.

The Pitmen Painters in London at the Duchess Theatre previews from 5 October 2011, opens on 11 October 2011 and closed on 21 January 2012.