Brassed Off – Little Theatre, Leicester

It is 1994 and a Yorkshire mining town community faces the looming threat of the closure of its colliery A last bastion of hope for the community, however, is its brass band.

Brassed Off, playing this week at The Little Theatre in Leicester, tells the story of this band as it competes in the National Brass Band Championships and follows the struggles of its members as they try to muster the energy to fight for the coal mine and their livelihoods.

The play is based on the 1996 film of the same name, adapted for the stage by Paul Allen.

The show opens with a rousing brass band performance by the Enderby Band. It is always a joy when there is live music on stage in a theatre production, so it is great that the Band features so heavily throughout the show. The playing is warm and rich and really enhances the immersiveness of the play.

The cast are all excellent, with strong accent work throughout and clear chemistry between the performers.

Eight year old Shane (portrayed by Samuel Smith on opening night) serves as a narrator for much of the show, bringing a child’s-eye view of the challenges facing the town and his family. Smith superbly delivers this performance with wonderful cheekiness along with a level of emotional intelligence which enables more hard-hitting moments.

Shane’s dad, Phil (Chris Brookes) struggles to balance the family’s financial struggles with his passion for the trombone and the brass band. Brookes plays Phil with a raw and affecting energy which really allows the audience to see the inner turmoils of his character.

One generation up is Danny (Adam Jones), Phil’s dad and Shane’s grandfather and the conductor of the colliery brass band. Jones is perfect in the role: articulate and poised, he radiates a believable love for both the band and its members.

The everyday goings on of the brass band are disrupted by the arrival of Gloria (Nikki Favell) who was born in the town and has a history with band member Andy (Robin McFarland). Favell plays Gloria earnestly and McFarland brings a lovely naivete to the character of Andy. The two of them portray a believable relationship that feels like it has a past to it.

The core group of miners, Phil, Andy, Jim (Paul Large) and Harry (Andy Longley-Brown) bounce off each other well with banter throughout and their friendship feels genuine.

In the second half, a scene between Jim, Harry and their wives Vera and Rita (Jane Towers and Siobhan Ball) is a comic highlight of the show, filling the auditorium with laughter.

The whole show is brought together under the exquisite direction of Mary Jones who keeps the production feeling pacey despite its relatively long runtime. Jones also excels in making use of a full brass band and a large ensemble cast to fill out the world of the play.

Brassed Off is heartwarming and musically rich, and is a must-see for anyone able to catch it this week at The Little Theatre.