The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists – Horden Playhouse

Based on the Book by Robert Tressell 

Writer: Stephen Lowe

Director: Mark Dornford-May 

Following their superb Hamlet earlier this year, Ensemble ’84 has chosen a lesser-known work for their sophomore production in their new venue. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists was written in 1914 by Irish house painter Robert Noonan under the pseudonym Robert Tressell. Published posthumously, the book is a semi-autobiographical narrative that mainly focuses on the divide between the lower classes living in poverty, and the upper classes who exploit them for their own gain. This mirrors the rise of socialism at the time as well as the recent formation of the Labour Party who was beginning to establish themselves by winning parliamentary seats. Stephen Lowe’s 1978 stage adaptation takes Tressell’s main themes and creates a dramatic piece that works perhaps even better as a lesson in both history and politics.  

Ensemble ’84’s bold choice of going from probably the world’s most famous play to a little-known adaptation of a little-known novel pays off very well. The piece, which focuses on a team of poverty-stricken labourers, fits perfectly in the Horden Playhouse (a church converted into a theatre using mainly repurposed scaffolding) as well as being extremely apt for Horden itself: a village established by coal mining and a victim of economic hardships after the pit closures of the 1980s. It’s a depressing observation that this story holds almost as much relevance in 2026 than it did 112 years ago. 

The cast, most of whom were previously seen in Hamlet, are excellent once again. Joseph Hammal plays Owen, the socialist member of the group whose philosophy is slowly taken on board by others in the team, but whose ideals threaten to leave him isolated from taking action. Hammal is an excellent presence and manages to display enough charm to balance his character’s prickly political proclivities. The highlight of the entire show is “The Great Money Trick”, a visual demonstration that Hammal’s Owen brilliantly performs to illustrate the problem with capitalism and how it relies on the exploitation of the common man. Working against Owen’s ideals are Stephen Lister’s gloriously officious general manager Hunter and the Wendy Hindmarsh’s duplicitous foreman Bob – both providing rounded interpretations of what could easily be stock villainous characters. Meanwhile, as the main members of the labour force, Kieth Irons is the pragmatic Philpott and Brodie Jobson is the explosive Harlow, a nicely contrasting pair whose great individual performances beautifully complement each other.  The rest of the cast is equally impressive, and the frequent acapella choral work from the full company is as melodious as it is dramatically relevant.  

Mark Dornford-May’s excellent direction brings the whole piece to life with imaginative use of space and simple multipurpose props and scenic elements, once again using the limitations of the venue very much to the production’s advantage.  

Ensemble ‘84 continues to be a very welcome presence within County Durham, raising the profile of Horden in ways one would never have thought possible. Although it would be lovely to see similar companies springing up across the country, for now we can at least support Ensemble ‘84 and Horden Playhouse: a truly exciting glimpse at what the future of theatre could be. 

Runs until 10th October 2026