{"id":11593,"date":"2017-02-27T15:34:40","date_gmt":"2017-02-27T15:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=11593"},"modified":"2017-02-27T15:35:39","modified_gmt":"2017-02-27T15:35:39","slug":"11593-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=11593","title":{"rendered":"Undermined"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Undermined is a one man show told through Dale\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s point of view and his journey throughout the year of the miners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strike, his community and the clash with the police.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written and performed by Danny Mellor who says \u00e2\u20ac\u0098a chair and a pint\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 are all that is required to tell this tale.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m from Cortonwood, an ex-coalfield area where the first strike broke out. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always been interested in the strike and the people that it impacted, many still live in my community now,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Danny.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The play began for Danny as a project in drama school. It was a half an hour show called Shafted<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Danny decided to develop his play further he met up met up with a man called Bruce Wilson who wrote a personal diary during his time on strike. He documented every day of his life on strike in a book called Yorkshire\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s flying pickets<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI was worried he may not want to speak to me but he was happy to tell me his tale,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Danny.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThose who lived through the strike want people to know the truth and it speaks of their generosity. The solidarity of the coal miners is still very much alive,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bruce came to see the play and Danny says it was his most nervous performance of his life but that Bruce was very positive about the play.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bridges the gap<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat makes this play different from others is that it bridges the gap between those who lived through the miner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strike and those who are maybe too young to remember it or know nothing about it,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Danny.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt is inclusive for both audiences and young people have told me that it inspired them to learn more about the strike and the battle of Orgreave,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe Rollin, a Unite organiser and chair of the Orgreave truth and justice campaign<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0organised a performance of the play for his local Unite members and members of the NMU (National miners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 union).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDanny got in touch with me as he wanted to help the Orgreave campaign,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Joe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe use Barnsley civic hall for lots of our benefit nights so they agreed to hire us the venue free of charge and Danny also didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t charge to put on his play. On the night we had about 400 people there and raised \u00c2\u01411,000 from takings on the door for the campaign,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe also used the evening to do a collection for the Oaks disaster memorial, which was the biggest mining disaster in England. This year marks the 100th<\/sup> anniversary.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d recommend anyone who gets the opportunity goes to see Undermined,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Joe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really amazing and the way Danny manages to catch the strike and the emotions through a one man play is incredible,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe also said the play has a bit of a controversial twist that he thinks people will find interesting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt caused a huge debate in the bar afterwards,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 laughed Joe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI think for me the best part was how Danny managed to tell the story of the strike in such a human way,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Danny says he decided to make his play a one man show for logistic reasons but also because he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to over dramatise the story and this way allows the audience to think for themselves too.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe main lesson to learn from the miners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strike is to not fight among ourselves and to empathise with each other,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Danny.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe media cause a diversion in how they portray news and that can lead us to turn on each other. People need to unite against the true enemy, which was the government at that time,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brexit<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Asked how we can learn from the miners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strike and the awe-inspiring solidarity it created Danny touched on Brexit and the huge divide it has caused across the country.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need to make sure we get the best outcome for us all following the Brexit result and we need to move on together. Bitterness doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help anybody, it just makes things sour,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Danny talked about two miners in Nottinghamshire who were good friends but fell out over the strike when one went out on strike and the other didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey healed their divide after the strike instead of letting that bitterness eat them up. We mustn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fight among ourselves we must empathise with each other,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Danny.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whether you are old enough to remember the miners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strike or not, a political activist or just someone who enjoys a good story, the play has something for everyone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis play is not a political manifesto,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Danny reassures.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a piece of human theatre telling the story of some friends during Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most famous strike,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Undermined played at the Edinburgh Festival and was followed by a short tour but this will be the first time it is performed in London.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written and performed by Danny Mellor. Directed by Ben Butcher.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It runs from Tuesday 21 March \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Saturday 25 March at 7.30pm. Saturday matinee on 25 March at 3pm.<\/p>\n

Wilton\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Music Hall, Graces Alley, London, E1 8JB<\/p>\n

Tickets: \u00c2\u01418-\u00c2\u014120. Box office 020 7702 2789<\/p>\n

Book online at www.wiltons.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Social media: @WiltonMusicHall<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EXCLUSIVE UNITE OFFER \u00e2\u20ac\u201c book now for 50 per cent off top price tickets using code: UNITE10<\/p>\n

Quote the code when booking online or by phone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Undermined is a one man show told through Dale\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s point of view and his journey throughout the year of the miners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strike, his community and the clash with the police.   Written and performed by Danny Mellor who says \u00e2\u20ac\u0098a chair and a pint\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 are all that is required to tell this tale.   \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[486,695,313,453],"wps_subtitle":"Danny Mellor brings 1984 Cortonwood back to life","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11593"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11593"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11597,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11593\/revisions\/11597"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}