Welsh audiences to get first look at Pride the Musical
Audiences in Wales are to get the first look at a new musical version of Pride.
Previews of the musical based on the 2014 film of the same name will be staged at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre before the production receives its world premiere at The National Theatre in London.
Presented by P&P Productions with the National Theatre, preview performances will take place in the Welsh capital from 31 March to 18 April 2026.
It will then run in London at the National’s Dorfman Theatre from 11 June to 12 September 2026.
Summer, 1984. With miners on strike across the country, 24-year-old activist Mark Ashton tries to rally a disparate group of gay men and lesbians into forming a support group for the beleaguered strikers. Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) quickly finds itself entwined with a small pit village in south Wales.
What follows is the remarkable true story of two threatened communities joining forces – and discovering they have more in common than they ever imagined.
Funny, fierce and full of heart, Pride unites the director and writer of the original film, Matthew Warchus and Stephen Beresford, with composers Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen and DJ Walde.
Together they share the inspiring story of these real-life events, set to an original score with songs inspired by protest anthems, pop, rock, disco and the Welsh choral tradition.
Warchus said: “It was one of the greatest joys and privileges of my career to direct the film version of Pride. I’m so excited to be working alongside Stephen again – together with Chris, Josh and DJ – to bring this hugely emotional and inspiring true story to the stage and let it sing.”
Beresford added: “It was an incredible experience to bring the true story of Pride to the screen, and it’s equally thrilling to now bring it to the stage. The soaring, epic nature of this story seemed tailor-made for musical theatre – and to collaborate with Josh and DJ, and reunite with Matthew and Chris has been nothing short of a joy. I can’t wait for audiences to see it.”
On the world premiere, National Theatre director Indhu Rubasingham commented: “When I heard that Matthew and Stephen were adapting their beloved film Pride as a stage musical, I knew instantly that I wanted it to be here at the National Theatre. The Dorfman is an intimate, flexible theatre renowned for new writing and for challenging expectations. The world premiere of Pride will push the limits of what is possible in this space, both joyful and disrupting. I can’t wait for audiences to experience its power.”
Casting is to be announced.
Public booking for Pride opens at 10am on Friday, 14 November 2025.
To find out more about the performances at the Sherman and to book tickets click HERE
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“Casting is to be announced.”
Let’s hope they do better than the film and cast real Welsh people from the south Wales coalfields into all the leads, instead of (admittedly good) actors from England and elsewhere doing excruciatingly bad impersonations of Welsh accents. For anyone Welsh (or anyone else with an ear) it made a great film painful to watch.