West End Wednesday: The Hired Man

The Hired Man is a 1984 musical, based on the novel of the same name, by writer Melvyn Bragg. The show tells of John Tallentire who is a labourer and miner in the northern region of Cumbria. The show chronicles John’s life over a span of thirty years. 

When Bragg decided to adapt his novel into a musical, he brought musician Howard Goodall on board to pen the score. When it came to the book and lyrics, Bragg himself took on the challenge of transferring his book from page to stage at the age of 26. The show, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, premiered at the Astoria Theatre to strong reviews playing for 164 performances in total, winning the Ivor Novello Award for Best Musical as well as being nominated for four Olivier Awards.

The original cast included Paul Clarkson as John Tallentire, Julia Hills as Emily Tallentire, Billy Hartman as Isaac Tallentire, Gerard Doyle as Seth Tallentire, Richard Walsh as Jackson Pennington, and Clare Burt as May Tallentire. The show’s cast album was recorded and released in 1992. The show was also produced Off-Broadway, four years after its original premiere, at 47th Street for a total of 33 performances. 

Over the years, the show has experienced multiple incarnations and has been revised many times. The song “Day Follows Day” was added when the production was revived in 2003 for a regional run at Salisbury Playhouse and has been within the show ever since. The show was mounted for a 2007-8 UK tour, of which a new cast album was also recorded.

In 2011, director Andrew Keates helmed a 17-person revival of the show at the Landor Theatre in Clapham. The production was well received and won the 2012 Offie Award for ‘Best Musical Production’. In 2013, a Daniel Buckroyd directed production of the show was co-produced by Leicester Curve and Mercury Theatre Colchester.

In 2016 Bragg himself narrated a concert production of the musical presented at the illustrious Cadogan Hall with Jenna Russell and John Owen-Jones taking on the roles of Emily and John Tallentire, respectively. The musical was revived again in July of 2017, this time at the Union Theatre directed by Brendan Matthew, starring Ifan Gwilym-Jones as John and Rebecca Gilliland as Emily. They were joined by Kara Taylor Alberts, Jake McNeill, Luke Kelly, Christopher Lyne, Megan Armstrong, Sam Peggs, Jonathan Carlton, Matthew Chase, Aaron Davey, Lori Mclare, Laurel Dougall, Nick Brittain and Rebecca Withers.

The most recent revival of the show saw a co-production between the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Hull Truck Theatre, in association with Oldham Coliseum. This production was directed by Douglas Rintoul with an actor-musician cast, musically directed by Tom Self. During June 2020, an archive recording of this production was streamed to raise funds for these theatres, due to losses incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Hired Man is a gorgeous homegrown musical Besties, you need to have a listen if you haven’t already!

Cast recordings available on streaming services. 

FACTS:

Music: Howard Goodall
Lyrics: Melvyn Bragg
Book:  Melvyn Bragg

Theatre: The Astoria Theatre
Run: 1984 (164 performances)