PITS, PEOPLE AND PLAYERS

“Fierce immediacy. Energetic and engaging celebration of Horden’s history.”

— Tracey Sinclair, The Stage

“Pow! The dynamism, the ingenuity, the confident delivery.”

— David Whetstone, Cultured. North East

A brand new production, Pits, People and Players, created in celebration of Horden’s 125th Anniversary. Performed by our all-County-Durham cast in Horden Methodist Church, August 2025.

Wendy Hindmarch (centre) and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Wendy Hindmarch (centre) and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Mia Cummings (centre) and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Mia Cummings (centre) and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Seekers of Coal. Sophie Moss, Willow Pearson, Brodie Daniel, Mia Cummings - Credit: Keith Pattison

Seekers of Coal. Sophie Moss, Willow Pearson, Brodie Daniel, Mia Cummings - Credit: Keith Pattison

Phil Swinburne as John Joseph Prest - Credit: Keith Pattison

Phil Swinburne as John Joseph Prest - Credit: Keith Pattison

Riot Scene - Bryn Chaytor-Wilson, Wendy Hindmarch, Sophie Moss - Credit: Keith Pattison

Riot Scene - Bryn Chaytor-Wilson, Wendy Hindmarch, Sophie Moss - Credit: Keith Pattison

Sophie Moss (centre) as Mrs. Holmes and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Sophie Moss (centre) as Mrs. Holmes and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Brodie Daniel (centre) as Soldier and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Brodie Daniel (centre) as Soldier and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Willow Pearson, Wendy Hindmarch, Joseph Hammal, Mia Cummings, Keith Irons - Credit: Keith Pattison

Willow Pearson, Wendy Hindmarch, Joseph Hammal, Mia Cummings, Keith Irons - Credit: Keith Pattison

Joseph Hammal, Brodie Daniel, Keith Irons, Stephen Lister - Credit: Keith Pattison

Joseph Hammal, Brodie Daniel, Keith Irons, Stephen Lister - Credit: Keith Pattison

Willow Pearson, Mia Cummings - Credit: Keith Pattison

Willow Pearson, Mia Cummings - Credit: Keith Pattison

David Harrison (Brass), Sophie Moss, Joseph Hammal, Stephen Lister, Phil Swinburne - Credit: Keith Pattison

David Harrison (Brass), Sophie Moss, Joseph Hammal, Stephen Lister, Phil Swinburne - Credit: Keith Pattison

Stephen Lister, Joseph Hammal, Brodie Daniel, Bryn Chaytor-Wilson, Keith Irons - Credit: Keith Pattison

Stephen Lister, Joseph Hammal, Brodie Daniel, Bryn Chaytor-Wilson, Keith Irons - Credit: Keith Pattison

The Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

The Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Mia Cummings, Wendy Hindmarch, Sophie Moss, Willow Pearson, Stephen Lister - Credit: Keith Pattison

Mia Cummings, Wendy Hindmarch, Sophie Moss, Willow Pearson, Stephen Lister - Credit: Keith Pattison

Mia Cummings (centre) and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Mia Cummings (centre) and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Wendy Hindmarch, Brodie Daniel, Bryn Chaytor-Wilson, Keith Irons, Stephen Lister, Phil Swinburne, Mia Cummings - Credit: Keith Pattison

Wendy Hindmarch, Brodie Daniel, Bryn Chaytor-Wilson, Keith Irons, Stephen Lister, Phil Swinburne, Mia Cummings - Credit: Keith Pattison

Brodie Daniel, Stephen Lister, Wendy Hindmarch, Willow Pearson, Keith Irons - Credit: Keith Pattison

Brodie Daniel, Stephen Lister, Wendy Hindmarch, Willow Pearson, Keith Irons - Credit: Keith Pattison

The Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

The Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Joseph Hammal as 'Marra' and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Joseph Hammal as 'Marra' and the Ensemble - Credit: Keith Pattison

Banners - Credit: Keith Pattison

Banners - Credit: Keith Pattison

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.

Creative Team

Writer - Ensemble '84

Director - Mark Dornford-May

Choreographer - Lungelo Ngamlana

Original Songs - Jodie Nicholson

Production Manager - Kevin Brown

Lighting Designer - Drummond Orr

Design - Janet Brown and Eve Booth

Brass - David Harrison