Bring Back That Show: Made in Dagenham

When one thinks of Musical Theatre, the Ford sewing machinists’ strike of 1968 is unlikely to be the first inspiration to jump to mind. However, David Arnold, Richard Thomas and Richard Bean’s Made in Dagenham, which opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 2014, is part of a strong tradition of British working-class stories told in Musical Theatre, including Billy Elliot, Kinky Boots and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

The musical is based on the 2010 film of the same name which follows Rita O’Grady (a composite character), who works at the Ford factory in Dagenham, East London. Under threat from the bosses to class all the female employees as unskilled workers to justify reducing their wages, the women at the factory rally together. After being laughed out of the boardroom by the plant managers for suggesting equal pay, Rita announces a factory-wide strike of all the female machinists. With Ford flying in their top executive and the strike action driving a wedge between Rita and her husband, our heroine meets with Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity Barbara Castle, who offers 92% of the male pay rate. Rita refuses this and takes the fight to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference where she makes a heartfelt speech that leads to gender parity being enshrined in the Equal Pay Act of 1970.

Arnold and Thomas’s score doesn’t take itself too seriously and the libretto by Bean has some witty turns, but what stands out is its feel-good heart. The show does much to uplift the soul but that never dulls its rebellious edge. ‘Busy Woman’ shows us an average day for Rita as she must balance looking after the kids, the house and her job. ‘Always a Problem’ and ‘This is America’ are particularly genius comic numbers. The rousing call to strike, ‘Everybody Out’, brings the first act to a close, and Rita’s final impassioned speech ‘Stand Up’ would draw tears of pride from anyone.

An actor-musician production at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch and New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich in 2016 was widely acclaimed. However, the only recording that exists is the original West End 2014 cast album – a must-listen as Gemma Arterton is a brilliant Rita. Dagenham also continues to be a popular choice on the amateur theatre circuit and a one-off concert starring Pixie Lott and Killian Donnelly will be performed at the London Palladium on 16 March to mark the show’s 10th anniversary. Is this not proof enough that this incredible and inspirational story continues to resonate to this day?

This article originally appeared in the February/March 2024 issue of Musicals magazine. Never miss an issue – subscribe today