Chesterfield actor tours Derbyshire venues with his award-winning mining heritage play

Without Malice Or Ill Will, written and performed by Ray, tells the story of a retired police officer who is invited to give a talk at a community centre. But this is not the usual chat about a career in law enforcement peppered with tips and advice about crime prevention and road safety. This is the story about how a miner became a copper, of how one decision led to a momentous year which changed his life and his community forever.

Ray has worked as a professional actor and scriptwriter since the age of 63 when he graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA (Hons) degree in Theatre and Performance in 2011. He said: “One of my first acting jobs after graduating from uni was as an actor and living history interpreter at The National Coal Mining Museum where I learned a great deal more about this period of history at first hand from the ex miners who worked there.”

He was inspired to write Without Malice Or Ill Will and toured his creation five years ago, winning the Actor Award for Excellence at the Buxton Fringe.

Now Ray is taking the play back on the road to venues around Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. He said: “I've decided to take the play on tour again because of the approach from The National Coal Mining Museum for England offering me an opportunity to be part of their events to mark the 40th anniversary of the miners strike and the revival of public interest in the stories of these historic events after TV dramas and documentaries.

“The tour is about the same length as that in 2019 but is visiting many different venues. I've been collaborating with Junction Arts of Chesterfield to take theatre into some of the local community venues where they already take art work.”

His tour of Without Malice Or Ill Will starts at Creswell Events Centre on May 24 and takes in the following Derbyshire venues:

June 1 – Chesterfield College Studio Theatre; June 14 – Holy Trinity Church, Shirebrook; June 15 – The Northern Light Cinema, Wirksworth; June 20 – The Hub, Clay Cross; June 22 – The Ritz Cinema, Belper; June 23 – Barrow Hill Memorial Hall, near Staveley; June 24 – Doe Lea Centre, near Glapwell; June 28 – St John The Baptist Church, Clowne; July 4, 5, 12, 13, 14 – The Green Man Gallery, Buxton; July 27 – Bakewell Old House Museum.

Ray has lived in Chesterfield for 40 years and has worked in theatre, film, television and radio.