The hit 2014 film Pride has been transformed into a magnificent new musical at the Dorfman Theatre, reuniting screenwriter Stephen Beresford with director Matthew Warchus. The show tells the true story of 1980s LGBTQ+ activists who fundraised for a south Wales pit village during the miners' strikes, forging an enduring friendship between the communities.
From Film to Stage: A Story of Solidarity
The musical begins in 1984 when Mark (Jhon Lumsden) founds Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, arguing that his community faces persecution just like the miners during a time of open prejudice and fewer legal rights. The activists befriend the miners of Onllwyn and collect funds to lift them out of poverty resulting from the strike.
The production leans into the same joy-filled spirit as the film, using sentiment to sugar tough subject matter. Topics include the normalisation of homophobic abuse, the trauma of coming out and subsequent family rejection, the Aids crisis, and Margaret Thatcher's breaking of the miners' union.
Innovative Staging and Musical Numbers
The action takes place on a makeshift scaffold and gantry structure designed by Bunny Christie, where protest speeches are made and banners brandished. The show pares away some scenes from the film but bulks it up with song, movement, and abundant theatrical imagination. Five narrators tell the story together, sometimes addressing the audience directly.
A standout scene features Jonathan (Samuel Barnett), the actor of the group, who performs the bittersweet show-stopper You Might As Well Live about his HIV diagnosis. The songs are fabulous, ranging from Welsh choral music to moving ballads and snazzy disco. The number Y Ddraig Ar Ein Baner (The Dragon on Our Flag) is particularly lovely.
Emotional Depth and Character Stories
The storyline on timid Bromley (Lewis Cornay) and his coming out is deeply moving, with the song Mum 1 full of vulnerability and a yearning to be seen. This is followed by the high of his declarative I'm Into Guys. Steph (Courtney Stapleton) is the lone lesbian in the musical, but she is wonderfully spiky.
According to the review, the show shifts gears emotionally, with some tear-jerkers and others naughty, including the protest chant “Two, four, six, eight, is that copper really straight?” and edgy black humour around Aids.
Relevance and Impact
The musical offers an example of how coming together can take on prejudice. It feels especially important to revisit at a time when queer rights are being rolled back, when difference is seen as a threat, and intolerance is the prevailing currency of conversation on social media. The show is described as an uproarious musical roadmap reminding us of ways to love each other and that to overcome our fears, we must talk to those we are fearful of.
The production runs at the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, London, until 12 September.
