ALEX HALL is disgusted by the misuse of ‘emotional narratives’ to justify uninformed geo-political prejudice
Latest editorial
Arts Ahead: June 21
What to watch out for in the coming weeks
Queens of the Coal Age
SUE TURNER welcomes a thoughtful, engaging book that lays bare the economic realities of global waste management
JOHN GREEN welcomes an insider account of the achievements and failures of the transition to democracy in Portugal
SIMON PARSONS applauds an imaginative and absorbing updating of Strindberg’s classic
PETER MASON is enthralled by an assembly of objects, ancient and modern, that have lain in the mud of London’s river
MICK McSHANE rubs shoulders with Mod legend Steve Craddock and joins in with the joyous Glasgow choir
DENNIS BROE sifts out the ideological bias of the newest TV series offerings, and picks out what to see, and what to avoid
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.
More from this author
The Morning Star reports on the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom fringe meeting at Unite's policy conference
