LEE Hall (the genius behind Billy Elliot) has delivered a simply stunning piece of theatre. The Pitmen Painters, based on a true story, provides us with a fresh and thought-provoking view of art, and the social implications entangled with it. The s tory offers a richly humorous, informative and heartfelt account of a group of Geordie miners who rise to fame as The Ashington Group of painters. Having invited an academic to teach an art appreciation class, the group hastily realise their lack of interest in the High Renaissance, cherubs and all, and teacher Robert Lyon (acted by Ian Kelly) resorts to encouraging the miners to paint, on the basis that ‘it's not about meaning, it's about being expressive'.

As their artistic talent flourishes, the preconception that art is only for the privileged is greatly challenged, and Hall provides a fascinating debate: What exactly makes an artist? Does all art have to mean something? Why is art ‘the exclusive domain of the educated'?

Max Robert's production is filled with strongly characterised performances: Christopher Connel as the sincere and promising artist Oliver Kilbourn; David Whitaker as the hilarious Jimmy Floyd, whose Geordie v ernacular confused Phillippa Wilson as the beautifully poised Helen Sutherland. An impressive moment is when ingenious Ian Kelly draws a freehand charcoal sketch in front of a captivated audience. (It was Kelly who had recreated many of the original paintings for the props in the production: no small feat.) As with Billy Elliot, Hall tackles the prominent themes of the social, political and educational barriers between the working class and the arts. It is through the voices of these uneducated miners that we realise the seemingly ludicrous nature of art itself, and, when reflecting on a sculpture of a circle in a square, one of the group says, ‘I could have done that!' while Miss Sutherland replies, ‘But you didn't...Ben Nicholson did.'

With Labour poised for power as war ends, Ian Kelly’s ardent Mr Lyon begs Kilbourn to realise that the working classes can now seize their creative chances. Final film projections remind us how wrong Lyon was. The colliery closes. The proposed Ashington University where pitmen will become painters never happens. The Labour Party severs its socialist roots in 1995. The dream of shattering the culture barrier remai ns mere fantasy. The intense artistic talent of this fabulous cast and Hall's warmly witty yet sufficiently poignant script blend to create a truly memorable production with no less than four encores from an appreciative audience. We were also treated to pre-show entertainment in the form of The Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir who put us 'in the mood' with songs that included two written especially for this production. Runs until Saturday 17th October.