Pits, People and Players at The Playhouse

The heritage, resilience, and future of Horden.

Developed and performed in Horden Methodist Church, the heart of the community becomes the stage for a piece that dives deep into the story of Horden — a village forged in coal, carved by industry, and transformed by change.

With our all County-Durham cast embedded in much of the research, this new, devised show is rooted in the lived experience of local people and crafted from a tapestry of testimony, memory, and imagination. It explores Horden’s rise as a pillar of the UK’s industrial might – with Horden Colliery setting a European record for coal mining in 1930 – and the painful unravelling that followed the pit closures in 1987, a seismic loss that has reshaped both place and people.

But this isn’t just a story of decline. With care and candour, the production looks ahead to a future marked by shifting demographics, new challenges, and a fierce desire for renewal. It asks vital questions about identity, belonging, and the meaning of community in a changing world.

Poetic, political, and deeply human, this show is a tribute to the power of place, the endurance of stories, and the necessity of hope – blending theatre, storytelling, and music.