Pride: The Musical Debuts, Celebrates Gay‑Miner
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Pride: The Musical premiered at Cardiff's Sherman theatre and will run at the National Theatre Dorfman in London until 12 September.
- Matthew Warchus directed both the original 2014 film and the new musical, saying its emotional heart made it perfect for a stage adaptation.
- Stephen Beresford recalled that the audience roared approval when a same‑sex kiss appeared in act two, showing how attitudes have shifted since the 1980s.
- Reggie Blennerhassett and Ray Aller, a 44‑year‑old gay couple, attended the preview wearing T‑shirts from the 1984 “Pits and Perverts” fundraiser, linking the show to its historic roots.
- Christopher Nightingale and co‑composers Josh Cohen and DJ Walde created a genre‑spanning score, including the new AIDS‑grief piece “Light Perpetual.”
- LGSM’s 1984 “Pits and Perverts” gig raised £5,500 for miners, part of a total £22,500 raised, equivalent to over £70,000 today.
- Dai Donovan praised the musical for portraying gay pressures and noted its role in advancing gay rights after the 1985 Pride march.
Why it matters: The musical’s enthusiastic audience response, especially to a same‑sex kiss, shows how British attitudes have shifted since the 1980s, giving LGBTQ+ histories and the miners’ solidarity public visibility and honoring the participants, which strengthens cultural memory and community pride and inspires future artistic collaborations.
