PITS, PEOPLE AND PLAYERS to Premiere in County Durham, Honoring Horden’s Coal Mining Legacy

Ensemble '84 will debut a brand-new devised production, Pits, People and Players, from 19–23 August 2025 at Horden Methodist Church. Created as part of Horden’s 125th Anniversary celebrations, the show is both a love letter and a reckoning—paying tribute to the village’s coal mining history while looking toward a future shaped by resilience and change.

Following the company's bold reimagining of Mother Courage and Her Children earlier this year, this new work dives deep into the heart of Horden. Performed by an all-local cast and crafted from extensive community research, the piece blends storytelling, music, and theatre to reflect the lived experiences of County Durham residents. From Horden Colliery’s record-setting output in 1930 to the devastation wrought by the pit closures in 1987, the production chronicles a community's journey through pride, loss, and transformation.

Directed by Ensemble '84’s Mark Dornford-May, Pits, People and Players offers a poetic, political, and deeply human portrait of a village defined by more than its past. “This show is not just about history – it's about heart,” Dornford-May said. “It's a celebration, a reckoning, and above all, a tribute to the power of people and this place.”

Julia Handelman-Smith, Into the Light Director, added, “This production is a shining example of how local arts can reflect national conversations – about community, resilience, and the stories we choose to carry forward.”

Supported as part of Into the Light, Pits, People and Players continues Ensemble '84’s commitment to creating theatre that is locally grounded and universally resonant.

Pits, People and Players