Last Christmas, we gave you a little insight into Technical Director Kevin Hall's passion for performing with the Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band, a passion spanning over 50 years.
Currently, Kevin, alongside his fellow band members from the Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band and another local brass band, Horbury Victoria Brass Band, is performing live as part of the Leeds Playhouse’s theatre production of Brassed Off.
To celebrate this wonderful film’s 30th anniversary, it was decided to bring it to the stage. Set in the nineties against the backdrop of the miners’ strike aftermath, Brassed Off centres on the fictional Grimley Colliery Brass Band as its members grapple with the impending closure of the local pit.
Kevin Hall, Technical Director, Craven Fawcett, shares his thoughts: “This is a wonderful production to be involved with. Both Wakefield Metropolitan and Horbury Victoria Brass Bands have been rehearsing since May, and it has been non-stop ever since. Each week, there are eight performances, with 16 band players split between the two brass bands at each. Personally, I play three performances every week, and I'm thoroughly enjoying every minute of it."
Directed with tremendous warmth and skill by Amy Leach, this major new staging is a production that exudes messages of community, resilience, and the enduring power of music, and the play has received fantastic reviews.
The Reviews Hub says: “The production’s greatest triumph, however, is its use of live brass music. Performed on stage by members of the Horbury Victoria Brass Band and Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band, the score becomes far more than accompaniment; it is the emotional heartbeat of the show. The musicians perform magnificently alongside these talented actors, creating key moments of overwhelming emotional power.”
https://www.thereviewshub.com/brassed-off-leeds-playhouse/
Mag North comments: “Nothing, however, quite prepares you for the live brass. Horbury Victoria Brass Band and Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band don’t supply atmospheric accompaniment. They're the heartbeat of the production.”
https://www.mag-north.com/posts/i-thought-that-music-mattered-brassed-off-at-leeds-playhouse
Brassed Off is in the middle of a three-week run at the Leeds Playhouse, and the last performance will be on Saturday 11th July.
What a fantastic project to be involved with. Well done, Kevin, from the Craven Fawcett and Group Rhodes teams.
