THE PITMEN PAINTERS to Embark on UK Tour, March 2013

Originally produced by Newcastle's acclaimed Live Theatre, and following sell-out seasons at The National Theatre, on Broadway and in the West End, Bill Kenwright presents the award winning play THE PITMEN PAINTERS, as it embarks on a new national tour in the spring of 2013.

Written by Lee Hall, creator of the worldwide sensation Billy Elliot, THE PITMEN PAINTERS has received huge critical acclaim and won the Evening Standard award for Best New Play.

In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collections; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine. Examining the lives of a group of ordinary men who do extraordinary things, THE PITMEN PAINTERS is a humorous, deeply moving and timely look at art, class and politics.

Lee Hall wrote the screenplay for Billy Elliot and adapted it for the West End in 2005, winning an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Billy Elliot opened on Broadway in November 2008. His plays also include Spoonface Steinberg (Ambassadors), Cooking with Elvis (Live Theatre, Assembly Rooms and West End), and an adaptation of Herman Heijerman's The Good Hope for the NT.

Joe Caffrey will star as 'Harry Wilson', Philip Correia as 'Oliver Kilbourn', Suzy Cooper as 'Helen Sutherland', Catherine Dryden as 'Susan Parks', Louis Hilyer as 'Robert Lyon', Riley Jones as 'Ben Nicholson / Young Lad', Nicholas Lumley as 'George Brown', and Donald McBride as 'Jimmy Floyd'.

THE PITMAN PAINTERS - UK TOUR DATES 2013

Wednesday 13 - Saturday 16 March Box Office: 01753 853 888

Theatre Royal, Windsor Website: www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk

Monday 18 - Saturday 23 March Box Office: 0845 330 3565

Clwyd Theatre, Mold Website: www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk

Monday 25 - Saturday 30 March Box Office: 01684 892277

Festival Theatre, Malvern Website:http://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/

Tuesday 2 - Saturday 6 April Box Office: 01702 351135

Palace Theatre, Southend Website: https://southendtheatres.org.uk

Tuesday 9 - Saturday 13 April Box Office: 01246 345 222

Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield Website: http://www.pomegranatetheatre.co.uk

Monday 15 - Saturday 20 April Box Office: 01274 432 000

Alhambra, Bradford Website: http://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/

Monday 22 - Saturday 27 April Box Office: 01223 503333

Cambridge Arts Theatre Website: www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

Monday 29 April - Saturday 4 May Box Office: 01323 412000

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne Website: http://www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk/

Tuesday 7 - Saturday 11 May Box Office: 01483 44 00 00

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford Website: http://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/

Monday 13 - Saturday 18 May Box Office: 0131 529 6000

Kings Theatre, Edinburgh Website: , http://www.edtheatres.com/kings

Monday 20 - Saturday 25 May Box Office: 01743 281281

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Website: http://www.theatresevern.co.uk/

Tuesday 28 May - Saturday 1 June Box Office: , 01332 59 39 39

Derby Theatre Website: http://www.derbytheatre.co.uk/

Monday 3 - Saturday 8 June Box Office: 0114 249 6000

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield Website: http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/

Monday 10 - Saturday 15 June Box Office: 0116 242 3595

Leicester Curve Website: http://www.curveonline.co.uk/

Monday 17 - Saturday 22 June Box Office: 01494 512000

Swan Theatre, High Wycombe Website: https://www.wycombeswan.co.uk/

Monday 24 - Saturday 29 June Box Office: 0844 871 7650

Theatre Royal, Brighton Website:http://www.atgtickets.com/brighton

Monday 1 - Saturday 5 July Box Office: 08448 11 21 21

Newcastle Theatre Royal Website: http://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/

Monday 8 - Saturday 13 July Box Office: 01325 486555

Civic Theatre, Darlington Website: www.darlington.gov.uk/Leisure/arts

Monday 15 - Saturday 20 July Box Office: 01423 502 116

HarroGate Theatre Website: http://www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk/

Monday 22 - Saturday 27 July Box Office: 01872 262466

Hall for Cornwall, Truro Website: https://www.hallforcornwall.org/

Monday 29 July - Saturday 3 August Box Office: 01865 305305

Oxford Playhouse Website: http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/

Monday 5 - Saturday 10 August Box Office: 0844 871 7651

Richmond Theatre Website: www.atgtickets/richmond

Monday 19 - Saturday 24 August Box Office: 01792 475715

Grand Theatre, Swansea Website: www.swansea.gov.uk/grandtheatre

Photo Credit: Keith Pattinson