The bard pays homage to his two muses: his wife and his football club
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Arts Ahead: June 21
What to watch out for in the coming weeks
Queens of the Coal Age
MARY CONWAY is disappointed by an incoherent show that fails to question stereotypical assumptions about the Soviet Union
JOHN McINALLY welcomes a rigorous class analysis of the history and exploitation of sectarianism by the Scottish ruling elite
WILL STONE, JAMES WALSH and MARIA DUARTE review Souleymane’s Story, Sunlight, Good Fortune, and After The Hunt
ALEX HALL recommends an exhaustive investigation of the means by which the Starmer faction assassinated the left
DAVID MORGAN recommends a refreshingly inspiring novel that features encounters with some tremendous women
MANCHESTER THEATRE
Queens of the Coal Age
Royal Exchange
June 28-July 28
Maxine Peake's new play sees Anne, Elaine, Dot and Lesley, four ordinary women, facing the closure of their community. It’s 1993 and the Parkside Colliery pit may be winding down, but they’re not giving up. Bras stuffed with contraband, they take a tour of the pit and refuse to come up.
Settling into the depths of the mine, making tissue roses and walking imaginary dogs, they face bribery and threats. But, as they dig in, those up top start to realise these ladies are not for turning.
Queens of the Coal Age is the heartwarming and funny true story of four women, stalwarts of Women Against Pit Closures, taking a stand in the face of a changing world. Must-see.
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