We’re Not Going Back by Red Ladder Theatre Company

Have just  returned from  watching  ‘We’re Not Going Back’ by Red Ladder Theatre Company at Theatre Mwldan  Cardigan. A very impressive,  inspiring hard hitting musical  comedy  about the  1984/85 miners’ strike.

 Initially  at  first was  not  quite   sure how  a musical  could be made out of this turbulent peice of  history  but it  worked really  well. 

It’s February 1984, and as the rumour mill stirs with developments of impending pit closures, the coal miners’ unions anxiously prepare for the imminent war against the government. Forced into unemployment, miners and their families take up the fight and become part of a battle that will change the course of history.

The miners' strike brought devastating hardship and conflict not just to the men but to families and entire communities. The wives, suddenly thrown to the forefront, had their own struggles and this is their story, The performance looked sympatheticaly at  the the strike through the eyes of three sisters, aided by a woman musician in a village in the heart of the South Yorkshire mining district.

The three sisters are  older sister, Olive, staid, restrained, pious, maternal; eighteen-year-old Izzy, black-clad college dropout, Morrissey-mad and miserable, and the bubbly, fun-loving Mary.

Their family squabbles and fallouts are the background to a story of defiance, resilience and determination as they are drawn into the struggle for their community’s survival as the banner with the slogan ‘Coal not Dole’   is prominently displayed constantly reminding  the audience  what is at the heart of the matter. Instead of focusing on the conflict between miners, police, judiciary and government, the musical centres on the way the struggle completely changes the sisters’ lives. 

We share the conversations and arguments of the women, their establishment of Carston Women Against Pit Closures and their  fight to hold their relationships and communities together, becoming active, tireless organisers and leaders. In the process, the sisters learn the value of empowerment, determination and adventure as they discover their own capabilities.

 As the strike progresses, the prayerful, demure Olive becomes emboldened chief agitator for "Women Against Pit Closures", 'delivering' her church's collection to the cause while struggling to cling to her faith. Izzy's ostracised boyfriend, Dean, is forced to rethink his career with the police force if he hopes to keep her, while Mary, forced now to work, starts to feel her feet and climb the ladder to a whole new world. 

While there's no stinting on graphic detail and tragedy, there  wass no wallowing in self-pity wither. Brave, light-hearted optimism shines through direst adversity, bringing hilarity and belly laughs from start to finish .

A   powerful  moving  piece  of  work that  succeded in vividly  taking me back  40 years to  this time of  struggle  that was one of the defining moments that fuelled my  own  political  direction at this time.

A word about the title. The men, of course, did go back , but it is the women who vowed, “We’re not going back” – and such is still the case, with Women Against Pit Closures still active. 

2024 happens to  be the fortieth anniversary of the 1984/85 miners’ strike, a dispute that still resonates today,  and the  performance  also  fittingly reminded us all, that the  working class is under more attack than ten years ago when the play was originally written. with increasing ferocity, and like then we must  continue to  stand  in  solidarity,  and despite  setbacks remain strong. 

I Strongly  recommend  this  piece of theatre,  that tackles the resilience of working communities, the make-and-mend fabric of family, and the power of sticking two fingers up to a government hell-bent on destruction and all  done with humour, wonderful acting ,wonderful  songs whilst being wonderfully written, by ex-Chumbawamba guitarist, Boff Whalley, so if you  get  a chance go  and see it,  

We're Not Going Back Trailer