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They Say: The Pitmen Painters Reviews

The acting in Max Roberts’s production is wonderful, the pitmen’s growing enthusiasm and knowledge of art beautifully caught, with especially fine work from Trevor Fox as the most talented of the artists, who is too proud to accept patronage from a rich art lover; from Joe Caffrey as a hilariously pompous WEA and union official; and Ian Kelly as the initially remote teacher who finds himself plunged into a rewarding new world that he isn’t entirely beyond exploiting to his own advantage.

Verdict: **** Charles Spencer for The Telegraph (read the full review here)

Hall's story is based on a fine book by William Feaver and takes a few justifiable liberties with the facts. His essential argument - that high culture should not be the preserve of a social elite but should be available to all - is salutary. Although at times the criticism of the artistically depleted present is a little preachy, this is a touching, funny and generous play.

Verdict: **** Henry Hitchings for The Evening Standard (read the full review here)

The mixture of mining and art might not seem a winning formula but it’s the play’s ability to grapple with complex issues about the nature of art and socialism while at the same time being so accessible and so tremendously entertaining – but never patronising – that sets it apart.

Julie Carpenter for The Express (read the full review here)

There is not room here to do credit to this superb play. I suggest you simply go and see it. You will emerge a-boil with rage at the failure of our richly funded state patrons of the arts to do for today’s Britain what Lyon did for his coalminer students in the Thirties.

Verdict: ***** Quentin Letts for The Daily Mail (read the full review here)