Steel and Iron, a new musical about Middlesbrough from Twenty Seven Productions, premièred last week in a hangar at Teesside International Airport before an invited audience comprising VIPs and business people from across the region.
“Since the Industrial Revolution, Middlesbrough has been a town of ‘boom and bust’,” said producer Victoria Gibson, “and Iron and Steel asks, what happens to a place that is defined by its heritage and industry when those are taken away from it?
“But it isn’t just about the town. It's about the people and families who first lived in Middlesbrough, forging a new way of life and hoping for the ‘Boom’ to last.”
Developed from an original idea by Gibson, the show is written by John Hoggarth, with Middlesbrough-born singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin composing the music and brother and sister duo Joe and Helen Hammill, AKA Cattle and Cane, and Maximo Park’s Paul Smith also making a contribution.
Although no date had been fixed for the show to première, the pandemic’s arrival in early 2020 meant that everything had to be put on hold. Now it is set to go ahead.
“We’ve drafted in a host of brilliant people from across our area, including some of the brightest musical talents, to help us tell our story, connect with our audience and challenge preconceptions around Middlesbrough and regional theatre,” Gibson added.
“I’m so excited to finally be bringing our vision to the stage.”