Former Bolsover MP Dennis Skinner inspires new play

A play about the life and times of the former Bolsover MP Dennis Skinner will premiere in Derbyshire.
By Gay Bolton
Published 16th Jan 2022, 05:30 BST
British labour politician Dennis Skinner at a demonstration in London in support of the miners, October 1992. (Photo by Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)British labour politician Dennis Skinner at a demonstration in London in support of the miners, October 1992. (Photo by Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
British labour politician Dennis Skinner at a demonstration in London in support of the miners, October 1992. (Photo by Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Palace of Varieties, named after Dennis’s description of the Houses of Parliament, will open at Derby Theatre on January 22 and run until February 5, 2022.

Ex-miner Dennis served as a Socialist MP for 50 years. His infamous belligerance and acerbic wit in the House of Commons earned him recognition as The Beast of Bolsover. But beneath the hard-line political image, is a man with a passion for nature and a soul who loves to sing.

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Playwright Kevin Fegan’s script for The Palace of Varieties is driven by politics and a-cappella, in an entertaining night out down the miners’ welfare.

Gareth Williams will play the central role of Dennis Skinner. Gareth played Scrooge in Derby Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol in 2019 and appeared in the film, Peterloo.

Tickets £15; go to www.derbytheatre.co.uk

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Related topics:Derbyshire