Pride

National Theatre - Dorfman Theatre

Playing until 12th September 2026

Book tickets

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

Pride is based on the real-life story of a support group, Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), which fostered a beautiful friendship with a mining community in south Wales during the miners’ strike in 1984 in response to the closure of many British coal mines by the Conservative government. Mark Ashton (Jhon Lumsden) sees much similarity of what the miners were going through with the struggles of the homosexuals in Britain at the time. They were prejudiced by the public and oppressed by the government, police and the press. In solidarity with the miners, Mark pulled together a small group of people, the founding members of LGSM, to collect donations in support of the mining village.

Written by Stephen Beresford and directed by Matthew Warchus, the original creatives behind the movie released in 2014, this musical had been in development for a very long time and it has finally landed at the National Theatre. Perhaps unsurprisingly, and just as many musical adaptations of movies have done in the past, there are many iconic scenes and quotes ripped right off the screen and placed on stage. Many of these land well and serves as a stepping stone for the creatives and actors to establish a connection with long term fans of the movie.

It is unwise to assume that the creatives have adapted the entirety of the movie though, and this is completely understandable given the need to accommodate for the addition of musical numbers, choreography and the fact that it is simply a different art form that engages with audience in a different way. Rather than developing a large number of characters, the evolution of some key characters was noticeably scaled back. These include Joe (Lewis Cornay), a closeted young man from Bromley, Siân (Sarah Pugh), a woman living in the mining village who became close friends with members of LGSM, and Gethin (Chris Jenkins), a gay man exiled from Wales by his own family. This enables Beresford and Warchus to focus on Mark’s development and the blossoming relationship between LGSM and the mining village.

Performed on a set designed by Bunny Christie, the stage could be easily transformed into a book shop, town hall or the picket line, enabling the transition to take place smoothly. At the back of the stage, there is a large set of doors that resemble the lift used to take miners to the underground tunnels, setting an apt atmosphere for the space.  

In the role of Mark, Lumsden serves as the anchor for the whole story, the beginning of the movement that changed the lives of so many. Lumsden brings swank, confidence and passion, showcasing an absolute refusal to back down in the face of challenges. His bigger than life performance and vocals are both delightful and a perfect personification of Mark Ashton himself, making the ending so much harder to watch knowing what awaited this beautiful character at the end of the movement. Jonathan (Samuel Barnett) could be considered as the other main role within this production. Instead of acting as the emotional anchor, he is more of a comic relief. Barnett plays this drama queen of a character with finesse, in synch with his self-awareness over his flamboyancy and breaking the occasional fourth wall to engage with the audience like the way he opened Act II, digging up good vibes for days.

Courtney Stapleton in the role of Steph, the only Lesbian in LGSM, is the standout performer among this talented ensemble that supports LGSM on its journey. By keeping a straight face throughout, Stapleton elevates the sarcastic nature of her character, one that complements Mark’s rather than taking the spotlight away from him.

However, despite the many strengths of this show, there are some significant issues with some of the characters. While acknowledging Siân is one of the more beloved characters from the movie, her growth is simply not on the same scale in this musical adaptation, slipping into a background character that is part of the mining village’s welfare committee. With the exception of single ballad, there is little to show her character’s desires for something greater, making her ending and subsequent achievements less relevant and impactful. In my mind, Beresford and Warchus need to either commit to what they would like to achieve with this character, either build it properly or accept its supporting role. In a similar vein, Joe also received a similar treatment. His coming out story taken a backseat to everything else that is going on, ultimately resulted in a rushed musical number that felt neither liberating nor empowering. In fact, while there were the occasional numbers that felt fitting and amplified the scenes, most of the music unfortunately, missed the mark.

From a staging perspective, there were also some questionable decisions. Having built the tension and rapport, the mining village begins to sing “Bread and Roses”, as a symbol of solidarity following Mark’s inspiring speech. Despite the fact that there are many original songs created for the show, this historical song remains to be the standout number. The weight of this song is unmistakable. This marks a significant step forward for LGSM and its relationship with this mining community; one would expect integration and acceptance as they become one. However, rather than demonstrating the unity, members of LGSM and the mining community took to opposing sides of stage, facing and singing at each other. Although this could be interpreted as them finally seeing eye to eye and acknowledge each other, it also feels confrontational, which at least for me, does not set the right tone at this moment of the story that wraps up Act I.

Despite the fact that part of the production got a little gritty, it struck gold in its narratives. At the core of this production, there is a powerful message that highlights the importance of empathy, unity and that people are more alike that we often think. This is thoroughly conveyed in this musical production. Whether presented as a movie or as a musical, the ending never fails to bring a tear to my eye whenever I see or hear the miners come to the aid of LGSM and the political changes that they were able to achieve together.

Creatives

Book and Lyrics: Stephen Beresford

Music: Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen, DJ Walde

Developed and Director: Matthew Warchus

Music Director: Jo Cichonska

Set and Costume Designer: Bunny Christie

Choreographer: Lizzi Gee

Lighting Designer: Hugh Vanstone

Sound Designer: Bobby Aitken

Producer: Fran Miller