Pride Tickets

From its origins as an extraordinary true story to the acclaimed 2014 film and its new stage adaptation, Pride has brought together two very different communities in a story about friendship, solidarity and standing together. The new musical brings this remarkable story to the stage with an original score, new songs and a creative team that includes several of the people behind the original film. Before it transfers to the Bridge theatre this November, here’s everything you need to know about Pride the Musical, including the true story behind the production, the history of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, its journey from screen to stage and what’s next for the musical in London. What is Pride the Musical about? Pride tells the story of an unlikely alliance between LGBTQ+ activists and striking Welsh miners during the 1984–85 miners' strike. The story begins in summer 1984, when 24-year-old activist Mark Ashton brings together a group of gay men and lesbians determined to support miners and their families during the strike. Together, they form Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, better known as LGSM. The group begins fundraising for a small mining community in South Wales. What initially seems like an unlikely partnership gradually develops into a genuine friendship, as the two communities discover shared experiences of discrimination, prejudice and fighting for their rights. Funny, moving and full of heart, Pride explores the power of solidarity and what can happen when people come together to support one another. The real history behind Pride Pride is based on the true story of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, an LGBTQ+ activist group that supported striking miners during the 1984–85 miners' strike. The musical follows the real-life campaign launched by Mark Ashton and his friends, who raised money for miners and their families while the strike was taking place. Their fundraising eventually brought the group into contact with miners in South Wales. The relationship became one of the most remarkable examples of solidarity between the LGBTQ+ and mining communities. The events depicted in Pride are rooted in this real history, although, as with any dramatisation, the film and musical shape real events into a theatrical story. What does LGSM stand for? LGSM stands for Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. The group was formed in London in 1984 by LGBTQ+ activists who wanted to support striking miners during the miners' strike. Rather than simply donating money themselves, the activists organised fundraising events and collections to support mining communities affected by the strike. Their efforts led them to build a relationship with a mining community in the Dulais Valley in South Wales. The alliance became an important example of different communities putting aside their differences and supporting each other. Who was Mark Ashton? Mark Ashton was a gay rights activist and one of the founders of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. He was just 24 when he helped establish the group in 1984. Ashton and his fellow activists began raising money for striking miners, creating a connection between London's LGBTQ+ community and mining communities in South Wales. His role is central to Pride, with the musical exploring both his activism and the relationships that developed through the LGSM campaign. What was the 1984 miners' strike? The miners’ strike was one of the most significant industrial disputes in modern British history. Beginning in March 1984, it saw the National Union of Mineworkers oppose the Conservative government’s plans to close coal mines and reduce the size of Britain’s coal industry. Under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the dispute became a major political and social confrontation, lasting almost a year and placing enormous financial pressure on mining communities across the country. As the strike continued, many miners and their families relied on support from friends, trade unions and communities elsewhere in Britain. It was against this backdrop that Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) began raising money for striking miners, eventually forming an extraordinary alliance with a mining community in South Wales. The miners’ strike provides the historical backdrop to Pride, but the musical is ultimately about the people and relationships that emerged from this turbulent period, and the unexpected solidarity that grew between two very different communities. Who were the Welsh miners in Pride? The musical follows LGSM's relationship with a small mining community in South Wales. At first, the two groups might appear to have little in common. The London activists and Welsh miners come from very different backgrounds and communities, but their relationship develops as they recognise the discrimination and political struggles they share. The friendship between the groups is at the heart of Pride, showing how solidarity can develop in the most unexpected circumstances. From the true story to the Pride film The story of LGSM was brought to a worldwide audience through the 2014 film Pride. Written by Stephen Beresford and directed by Matthew Warchus, the film starred an ensemble cast including Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Andrew Scott. The film became celebrated for combining comedy and warmth with a powerful story about LGBTQ+ rights, the miners' strike and community activism. More than a decade later, Beresford and Warchus have reunited to bring the story to the stage in a new musical adaptation. How is Pride the Musical different from the film? The musical tells the same fundamental story as the film, but it has been newly created for the stage. Rather than simply reproducing the screenplay, Stephen Beresford has adapted the story for musical theatre, writing both the book and lyrics. Matthew Warchus, who directed the film, has returned to develop and direct the stage production. The biggest difference is, of course, the music. The stage version features an original score by Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, with songs drawing on protest anthems, pop, rock, disco and Welsh choral traditions. The result is a theatrical version of the story that uses music, choreography and live performance to explore the friendships and conflicts at its centre.

The critically acclaimed new musical Pride is heading to the Bridge Theatre this November, following a hugely successful and completely sold-out run at the National Theatre. Based on the beloved 2014 film, Pride tells the extraordinary true story of the unlikely alliance between LGBTQ+ activists and striking Welsh miners during the 1984 miners' strike. The new musical has proved a major hit with audiences at the National Theatre's Dorfman Theatre, where its run continues until 12 September 2026.  Now, audiences will have another chance to experience this joy-filled story when Pride moves to the Bridge Theatre in November. We go on sale with tickets on 2 September, be sure to sign up to our newsletter to be the first to get your hands on tickets.