CENTENARY Theatre Company will be following in the footsteps of the late Warrington legend Pete Postlethwaite when it takes Brassed Off to the stage.

Pete’s portrayal of Danny in Mark Herman’s acclaimed film, about a community’s struggle against the mining pit closures, became one of his best known roles.

Now the award-winning amateur dramatic group will be taking Brassed Off to the stage at The Brindley in Runcorn from Tuesday to Saturday.

And it is a production close to the company’s heart as Pete’s cousin John is a life member of Centenary Theatre.

Seb Farrell, who is directing the play, said: “John taught me how to do the props back when I used to be a member of Centenary in 2002.

“He also arranged for me to meet with Pete when he was doing The Tempest in Manchester.

“Pete was my favourite actor and the fact he happened to be born in the same town was really inspirational.

“I asked him what it was like to play Danny and he said it was his favourite role.

“He spent two weeks with Stephen Tompkinson, who plays his son in the film, in Grimethorpe talking to the locals and finding out more about the miners.

“They were a bit reluctant at first because they’d been done over by journalists in the past.

“But in the end they really loved the film and supported the cast through it.”

Seb and the team also wanted an authentic sense of what it would have been like for coal mining communities both before and after the year-long strike of 1984 to 85.

So they went on research trips to the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield and The Lancashire Mining Museum (formerly Astley Green Colliery).

Seb, a former St Gregory’s RC High School student, said: “You actually go down in the lift that the coalminers used and you walk around and get a history of mining in the Victorian times and learn how kids would be there in the pitch black.”

‘Brassed Off is a funny play, it’s a sad play. It’s based on a great film but it’s also delves into the past and shows the impact this had’

Lancashire Mining Museum, which was used as a filming location in Peaky Blinders, features the largest surviving steam winding engine in Europe.

This allowed workers to enter the mine pit and to bring coal to the surface.

Centenary Theatre Company has since joined the campaign to help preserve this piece of history.

Seb, 34, added: “To be in a real engine room where these people we’re portraying on stage would have worked was quite moving.

“Astley Green Colliery shut in 1970 so it felt like walking around a ghost town.

“When you’re doing a play like Brassed Off it’s important to understand what went on and how your character fits into that story.

“The people who took us on the tours in Wakefield and Astley Green were both miners.

“They witnessed the closure of the pits.

“It’s not just a case of seeing the pit and seeing the conditions these people worked in – you’re actually speaking to people who were there when it all happened.

“They’re still very vocal about what happened and their part in it.

“Brassed Off is a funny play, it’s a sad play. It’s based on a great film but it’s also delves into the past and shows the impact this had.

“It’s based on true events. It’s based on real people and the more we know about those people the better we can portray them on stage.”

The theatre company, which won five district NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) Awards for their 2017 shows, started preparing for Brassed Off in October.

And there are 47 in the cast – the biggest group Great Sankey resident Seb has worked with.

That includes 20 musicians from Golborne Brass Band and two teams of children who are working on alternate nights.

Centenary Theatre Company's Brassed Off is at The Brindley in Runcorn from Tuesday to Saturday next week.

Click here for tickets or call the box office on 0151 907 8360.