Brassed Off – Leeds Playhouse

Original Screenplay: Mark Herman

Adapter: Paul Allen

Director: Amy Leach

A full thirty years after Mark Herman’s much-loved film first met the approval of audiences across the country, Leeds Playhouse has delivered a production of Brassed Off that is every bit as stirring and poignant as its cinematic predecessor. Directed with tremendous warmth and skill by Amy Leach, this major new staging is a production that exudes messages of community, resilience and the enduring power of music.

Set in the nineties against the backdrop of the miners’ strike aftermath, Brassed Off centres on the fictional (but very Yorkshire) Grimley Colliery Brass Band as its members grapple with the impending closure of the local pit. While band leader Danny pushes the ensemble towards the National Brass Band Championships at the Royal Albert Hall, the musicians face increasing pressures at home, with jobs disappearing and livelihoods under threat. The story follows several interconnected characters, including miner Phil, Danny’s son, whose financial struggles become increasingly desperate, and Andy, whose rekindled relationship with former school crush Gloria unfolds amid the uncertainty surrounding the community’s future. As the pit closure becomes inevitable, the band’s pursuit of musical success runs alongside a wider examination of the personal and social cost of industrial decline.

The production is anchored by an accomplished ensemble who create a real sense of shared history and community. David Birrell’s excellent portrayal of Danny offers us a man sustained by stubborn determination, clinging to the band’s survival with an intensity that becomes increasingly affecting as events unfold. Trombone-playing Robin Morrissey delivers one of the evening’s most moving performances as Phil, skilfully charting the character’s downward spiral with heartbreaking honesty, without losing sight of his humour and humanity. Maddie Hansen makes Gloria far more than a romantic interest, giving her a confidence and emotional intelligence that strengthens with each scene, along with some ridiculously good skills with the flugelhorn.

Frazer Hadfield (Andy) and Danielle Henry (Sandra) ensure their respective personal relationships at the heart of the story remain compelling, their performances helping to ground the wider political narrative in recognisable human experience. Firm audience favourites Harry (Ewen Cummins) and Jim (Andy Cryer) are a fantastic double act – funny, occasionally brash and bawdy, but always with their hearts in the right place. Cummins and Cryer show us the best of these two characters, and both play a mean euphonium too.

Leach’s direction expertly balances broad northern humour with moments of huge emotional impact. The comedy lands naturally, rooted in character rather than caricature, making the play’s darker moments even more impactful. There are scenes here that draw genuine laughter, only to be followed by moments of such raw humanity that they leave the auditorium in near silence, save for the sniffing back of tears.

The production’s greatest triumph, however, is its use of live brass music. Performed on stage by members of the Horbury Victoria Brass Band and Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band, the score becomes far more than accompaniment; it is the emotional heartbeat of the show. From The Floral Dance to Land of Hope and Glory, every note resonates with the struggles and hopes of the community. The musicians perform magnificently alongside these talented actors, creating key moments of overwhelming emotional power.

Katie Scott’s design captures the industrial landscape of a town fighting for survival, while Jai Morjaria’s atmospheric lighting and John Biddle’s sound design immerse the audience fully.

Brassed Off is about lost industries and political decisions, but it is just as much about friendship, pride and the refusal to surrender hope. This is theatre that reminds audiences why this type of story and this content matters.

Runs until 11th July.