Brassed Off and Blidworth

In 1996 the movie Brassed Off took to our screens featuring an all star cast of UK elite actors including Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitgerald, Ewan McGregor and Stephen Tompkinson. The film depicts the fictional mining town of Grimley and their brass band in the wake of the closure of 'Grimley Colliery' and how the band continued through adversity to go on and win the National Brass Band Championships at the Royal Albert Hall.

Although the town and brass band were fictional, it was in name only as the village of Grimethorpe was the inspiration for the film with the famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band providing the soundtrack.

The story of Brassed Off is so compelling that the film was successfully released as a theatre production and has been performed throughout the UK and indeed overseas through a collaboration between theatre groups and brass bands for a number of years.

In April 2019, Blidworth Welfare Band will be joining up with Argent Theatre Company and taking the part of Grimley Colliery Band in a stage production of Brassed Off in Newark-upon-Trent opening for three nights and one matinee performance.

Whilst Grimethorpe had a great deal of synergy with the fictional Grimley Colliery Band, Blidworth Welfare Band do too as their pit closed in 1989, four years prior to Grimethorpe Colliery.

Musical Director, Simon Oates said "We are delighted to have been asked to provide the music for this production as it is a great way to mark the 30th anniversary of the closure of Blidworth Colliery and pay tribute to the adversity that our community had to endure. Whilst we'll be playing the part of Grimley Colliery, our players will be playing with passion and pride with Blidworth in their hearts".

Further details on how to book tickets to see Nottinghamshire's Championship Section Band take their acting debut will be provided in due course on this website.