Details

Lancashire, the 1820's. In the grip of a post-war recession, the workers are on the brink of revolt, the Luddites are burning the new machinery and the employers are doing everything possible to maximise their profits, regardless of the human cost. When a weaver's beautiful daughter agrees to wed the boss's son for the good of the family, she quickly becomes entangled in a perilous game of love as she is torn between the factory owner's son and her ex-lover, the leader of the workers rebellion. As the price of bread rises, wages fall and families starve, mills and looms are engulfed in flames as Matthew and his fellow weavers fight a hopeless and desperate battle against the ever-expanding factory. As we approach a General Election, The Northerners is a sobering and relevant reminder of the struggles endured by the working class to maintain their independence and livelihoods in the face of advancing industrialisation, and a poignant heart-breaking tale of the ordinary people caught up in forces beyond their control. A honest, dark and powerful drama, The Northerners now receives its London premiere after nearly a hundred years, and only its third ever production in the UK, following its original production at the Gaiety Theatre, Manchester in 1914, and a revival at the Bolton Octagon in 1979. Performance Length: Approx. 2hrs

Cast/Performers

Peter Broome, Tomos James, Patrick Knowles, William Maxwell, John Rawnsley, Laurence Saywood, Adam Stevens, Stephanie Thomas, Joe Wredden, Louise Yates

Creatives/Company

Author: Harold Bridhouse
Company: Chequered Blue Theatre (in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre)
Director: Tim Newns
Design: Trudi Molloy
Lighting: Josh Carr
Costume: Penn O'Gara