Close the Coalhouse Door (1969)
by Alan Plater
Directed by Audrey Broderick
Performances: Sun 2nd – Sat 8th February 1969, Theatre
Contents
Introduction
This is a story about the miners of Durham, in speech and song. It was originally mounted at the Roundhouse Theatre in London, under the direction of Joan Littlewood. The SLTC had the privilege of staging the first amateur production, which was then featured later that year at the London Drama Festival, at the University College Theatre.
Cast
- Will Jobling - Edwin Stone
- Thomas Milburn - Peter Broderick
- The Expert - Ronald Cook
- Mary Ann Milburn - Mary Burrand
- Vicar - Roger Haines
- Jackie - Christopher Prior
- Geordie - Charles Cheetham
- John Milburn - David Gillard
- Frank Milburn - Paul Beech
- Ruth - Frances Howard
- Singing Pitwoman - Margaret Bradshaw
- Guests - Jean Pacey, Beryl Pritchard, Terry Barden, Russ Palmer, Robert Scales
- Musicians - Eric Twelftree, Jim Hewgill
Crew
- Stage Manager - John Cooke
- Assistant Stage Managers - Eric Gibson, Ron Cox, Ray Creasey, Anna Greenburgh, Valerie White, Margery Keable
- Lighting - Alex Kanarek
- Sound - Jim Judd
- Wardrobe - Linda Morrison
- Set Construction - John Cooke
- Assistant to the director - Ann Cheetham
- F.O.H. Manager - Frank Howcutt
- Box Office Manager - Ralph Wade
Reviews
Some review quotes go here
Gallery
- Photo by Bim Harding
Charles Cheetham & ???
Top right hand corner overlapped in archive book, enable to edit out
Paul Beech, Roger Haines & ??
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.
The show was produced on an open stage, with small pieces of scenery to suggest the various locales, and a silhouette of the mine's winding gear against the cyclorama. It therefore presented a real challenge to the lighting designer, given that it all had to be controlled by SLTC's little 24-way switchboard. The real fun came when we transferred to the University College Theatre and I was able to set the same plot on their enormous electronic switchboard, and operate it myself...Alex Kanarek.
See Also
Have there been other SLTC/SLT productions of this play? Link to them here.
Or add anything that is related within this site. The author's page for instance or other plays with a similar theme.
References
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