Paisley stage stars take a trip to Dagenham
Talented Paisley thesps are preparing to tread the boards in top musical Made in Dagenham.
David Glen, April Huisman, Grace Miller, Claire Campbell and Andrew Scott will be among more than 40 performers from the Minerva Club bringing the powerful story to life on stage at Eastwood Park Theatre.
Based on the 2010 film of the same name, Made in Dagenham is drawn from the real-life 1968 sewing machinists’strike at the Ford factory in Dagenham, Essex.
A drama teacher by day, Claire Campbell, 44, is taking to the stage as factory worker Clare.
She said:“Made in Dagenham is my first production with the Minerva Club, although I have been involved in musical theatre locally for nearly 15 years in shows including Calamity Jane, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver, and Annie.
“The script, music and choreography for Dagenham are fantastic, and rehearsals have been lots of fun.
“Clare is also a really funny, ditsy character to play, with some great one-liners. She will certainly have the audience in stitches.”
The strike was influential in the passing of the Equal Pay Act in 1970.
The musical follows the leader of the strike, Rita O’Grady – played by Gemma Arterton in the 2014 West End production – as she encourages the women of the factory to walk out after they are reclassified as unskilled workers, while their male counterparts see their wages increase.
Minerva Club president Colette Dunsmore said:“Made in Dagenham is a very emotive show, and as a club we are looking forward to bringing the Incredible true story of the Dagenham women to a local audience.
“We have been loving rehearsals so far and can’t wait to showcase our hard work on the Eastwood stage.”
Made in Dagenham will be on at Eastwood Park Theatre, Giffnock, from Tuesday, November 12, to Saturday, November 16.
Tickets cost £15 to £19 and are available from any cast member, by emailing tickets@ theminervaclub.com or online from www. eastwoodparktheatre.co.uk
The Minerva Club will be supporting the charity SiMBA with its 2019 production of Made in Dagenham.
SiMBA is a Scottish charity supporting families affected by the loss of a baby by donating memory boxes, refurbishing family rooms, and providing bereavement support.