Cast announced for The Pitmen Painters at Duchess Theatre

Casting has been announced for The Pitmen Painters, by Lee Hall, inspired by a book by William Feaver, which transfers to the West End's Duchess Theatre, opening 11 Oct 2011, following previews from 5 Oct - booking to 21 Jan 2012.

The cast includes Ian Kelly (Robert Lyon), Michael Hodgson (Harry Wilson), David Whitaker (Jimmy Floyd), and Brian Lonsdale (Young Lad/Ben Nicholson), all reprising the roles that they played at Live Theatre Newcastle, at the National, on Broadway and on tour.

Trevor Fox, who joined the cast on Broadway and on tour, will reprise the role of 'Oliver Kilbourn'. Joy Brook and Viktoria Kay, who joined for the 2011 tour, will play 'Helen Sutherland' and 'Susan Parks' respectively.

Joe Caffrey, who has appeared in many productions at Live Theatre Newcastle and who played the role of Dad in the West End Production of "Cooking With Elvis", and Billy's Father in the West End production of "Billy Elliot" (both also by Lee Hall), will join the cast to play 'George Brown'.

The play started life at Newcastle's Live Theatre, before opening at the National Theatre in London in 2008, and on Broadway in 2010 and a UK tour.

This is the original production directed by Max Roberts, with set and costume design by Gary McCann, lighting by Douglas Kuhrt and sound by Martin Hodgson, and featuring many of the actors who starred at the National Theatre and on Broadway.

In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collections; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine.

The Live Theatre Newcastle and National Theatre Co-Production, is presented by Bill Kenwright.