Home Across County Durham Coal Faces tours the County

Coal Faces tours the County

Golightly Theatre Company are delighted to announce the upcoming premiere of ‘Coal Faces’, a powerful new musical coming to the following venues this October 2026.

Performance Dates and Times 

Tuesday 27 October — Trimdon Station Community Centre — 7:30pm 
Wednesday 28 October — The Greenhills Centre, Wheatley Hill — 7:30pm 
Thursday 29 October — Bishop Auckland Town Hall Theatre — 7:00pm 
Friday 30 October — The Glebe Centre, Murton — 7:30pm 
Saturday 31 October — Coxhoe Village Hall — 7:30pm 

The Show

A new, powerful, musical drama set in an abandoned pit village in County Durham spanning the 1970’s-1980’s. Based on actual stories, told verbatim, ‘Coal Faces’ tells the story of the Elton family, encompassing the trials of generations living with the effect of economic abandonment after the pits close and the changing of ingrained roles within families living with the repercussions of the death of an established community.

Portraying the often tumultuous journeys of those marginalised by a traditional community as they endeavour to achieve their dreams, whilst highlighting the resolve of the matriarchs that demand ‘It’s time… for a transformation!’.

The People

Funded by the Art’s Council England, ‘Coal Faces’, with original music and lyrics by Jo Collins, co-founder of the internationally acclaimed ‘Chickenshed Theatre Company’ is set to tour County Durham this October.

Written and Directed by local born Andrew Golightly, he transferred the memories of local residents into a unique narrative recounting the stories ‘a lot of families don’t talk about’.

Confronting issues of domestic violence, alcoholism, prejudice, mental health, love, tragedy, laughter, heart, the fear of not being able to provide and the sheer bloody-mindedness that got people through it. “I wanted to put all of that on stage!” he explains.

Previews

Early feedback from the rehearsed reading in March, registers ‘…audiences, being genuinely moved by a story that needs to be told…”

You can find more information, production photos, and booking links on the official ‘Coal Faces’ facebook page and website.

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Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.

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