Pride Musical to Transfer to London’s Bridge Theatre Followi

The joy-filled British musical Pride, based on the true story of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), will transfer to London’s Bridge Theatre from November 12 following sold-out seasons at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre and the National Theatre’s Dorfman space. The production will mark the inaugural show at the 900-seat venue on the Thames near Tower Bridge under its new ownership by Trafalgar Entertainment.

Pride reunites the creative team behind the acclaimed 2014 film of the same name: director Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) and writer Stephen Beresford (The Last of the Haussmans), who wrote the musical’s book and lyrics. Set during the 1984 U.K. miners’ strike, the show follows 24-year-old activist Mark Ashton as he rallies LGSM to form an alliance with a striking mining community in South Wales.

The musical features an original score by Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, drawing on protest anthems, pop, rock, disco and the Welsh choral tradition. Nightingale’s credits include A Christmas Carol, while Cohen and Walde both contributed to Sylvia. The production blends multiple musical genres to capture the spirit of solidarity and celebration that defined the original LGSM movement.

Cast and Creative Team Announced for Bridge Theatre Run

The transfer cast includes Samuel Barnett as Jonathan, Matthew Durkan as Mike, Gillian Elisa as Gwen, Chris Jenkins as Gethin, Darren Lawrence as Cliff, Kirsty Malpass as Hefina, Madeleine Morgan, Sarah Pugh as Siân, Caroline Sheen as Maureen, Courtney Stapleton as Steph and Matthew Woodyatt as Dai, with further casting to be announced. The production also features set and costume design by Bunny Christie, choreography by Lizzi Gee, orchestrations by Nightingale and Tom Kelly, music supervision by Kelly, additional orchestrations by Cohen and Walde, and lighting design by Hugh Vanstone.

P&P Productions, in association with the National Theatre, Pathé, Calamity Films and David Binder Productions, will produce the musical at the Bridge. The show concludes its run at the National’s Dorfman Theatre on September 12 after a season at the Sherman Theatre Cardiff earlier this year.

Director Approaches Transfer as Opportunity for Refinement

Speaking ahead of the transfer, Warchus revealed that he always treats a remount as a chance to get access to it again and make little fiddly improvements and changes. He never approaches an opening night as a finished product, explaining that the opening night is a record, a document of where you got to in the amount of time you had and with the resources that you had.

“It’s one of the great privileges of my career to direct it, first as a film and now as a celebratory stage adaptation, and witness the same extraordinary way it impacts audiences. It’s a joyous comedy of kindness which makes you laugh uproariously, weep helplessly and then stand and cheer with a renewed belief in the human capacity for good. A true story of hope that we need now more than ever,” Warchus said.

Larger Venue Expected to Amplify Comedy and Sound Design

The move to a bigger house will also change how the production’s comedy and sound design land, according to Warchus. The difference between 800 people laughing and 400 people laughing is more than double, he explained, adding that the comedy will really benefit from more people watching. He points to the show’s layered sound design-the birds of Wales, chapel bells, the chants of striking miners, the cheers of the Pits and Perverts benefit concert-as an element he expects to intensify rather than dilute in a larger room.

Sound design always works better in larger spaces, Warchus noted. However, the production’s essential character, built on simplicity rather than spectacle, will not change with the move. The director’s approach emphasizes storytelling over theatrical excess, maintaining the intimate connection between performers and audience that defined the earlier runs.

Writer Reflects on Journey from Research to Stage

“Ever since my first research trip to Wales in 2013, it’s been one of the greatest honors of my career to tell the story of LGSM and the Dulais community, initially collaborating with Matthew Warchus on the 2014 film, and then again-in its most live and immediate form-as a stage musical,” Beresford said.

Starting the show at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre earlier this year to the most vociferous of welcomes, and then playing a joyful, sold-out run at London’s National Theatre, the creative team has been struck by what happens when a live audience encounters this true story of community, solidarity and courage. Beresford expressed his thrill to see Pride take its onward journey to one of London’s best theatres, where he looks forward to seeing more strangers passing tissues and hugging each other.

Critical and Audience Reception Points to Lasting Impact

In a review of the National Theatre run of Pride, critics praised the production as just as rich and funny, and even more moving than the beloved 2014 movie. The reviewer noted that the keenly awaited, lovingly crafted stage musical version, once again nimbly written by Beresford and directed by Warchus, delivers an extraordinary emotional experience. The production’s ability to make audiences laugh uproariously, weep helplessly and then stand and cheer demonstrates its powerful connection to the original true story.

The musical chronicles an extraordinary real-life alliance that emerged during one of Britain’s most contentious industrial disputes. When Mark Ashton and his friends formed LGSM, they forged an unlikely bond between London’s LGBTQ+ community and Welsh miners, demonstrating that solidarity transcends traditional boundaries. The story resonates today as a reminder of the human capacity for good and the transformative power of mutual support across communities.