West End Theatre Breaks
The Pitmen Painters tells the true story of group of Northumberland miners who, in 1934, hired a professor to give them an art appreciation evening class. The men quickly abandoned theory for practice and set about teaching themselves to paint. Within a few years their fame began to grow and several avant-garde artists became their friends. Their working days remained the same, however, with back-breaking shifts down the local mine. The Pitmen Painters is written by Billy Elliot creator Lee Hall, inspired by the book from William Feaver.
The Pitmen Painters, written by Billy Elliot creator Lee Hall, tells the remarkable true story of a group of miners from Northumberland who began an art appreciation class in the 1930s that led them to taking up paintbrushes and, with no formal artistic training, become celebrated in the British art world. The Pitmen Painters was first performed at Newcastle’s Live Theatre in 2007 before opening at the National Theatre in 2008.