Inspired by a true story and based on the hit movie, Made in Dagenham is an uplifting British musical comedy about friendship, love and the importance of fighting for what is right. Made in Dagenham performs at Titchfield Festival Theatre from 6 – 14 September 2024.

Essex 1968. Like millions of other working women, each morning Rita O’Grady is just trying to get her husband out of bed, get the kids off to school and get to work at the factory on time. But life is about to change forever when it’s announced that the girls in the stitching room of Ford’s Dagenham car plant will have their pay grade dropped to ‘unskilled’. Quickly drawing on a strength she never knew she had, Rita leads her friends in a battle against the might of Ford and the corruption of the union supposed to protect them. As the girls’ inspiring journey gets bigger than anyone could have imagined, the pressure is too much for some, but can Rita keep up the fight and the happy home she’s worked so hard for?

Bex Macdonald is director of Made in Dagenham, and is talking to Simon Frost:

Simon: Why did you choose to direct Made in Dagenham?

Bex: This year is the 10 year anniversary of Made in Dagenham’s debut in the West End, and it is a real powerhouse of musical comedy. After directing Educating Rita, I realised that I had an affinity for working with strong, three-dimensional female characters; and this show has them in abundance! At TFT we have some fantastic musical talent which often cannot be showcased due to the limited number of prominent roles, so Made in Dagenham is a perfect vehicle for all of the cast.

Being a working mum of two young daughters, I resonate with the message that nothing changes if it isn’t challenged and these women at Ford Dagenham helped create the Equal Pay Act. That means that my daughters and I now have the right to demand fair pay for the same work. There’s still a way to go in society especially with regards to the gender pay gap which still exists, but these women helped make a change which has impacted all women ever since.

Simon: Will the play follow a similar script to the original film version?

Bex: The script really captures the culture of the male and female workers at Ford’s Dagenham plant, and showcases each individual woman involved in the pay dispute storyline brilliantly. I think everyone can recognise one of these women from their friendship groups, which makes the characters very relatable. What I love about this show is it feels like a real ensemble piece and we see the impact of the content on both the men and women, their families and how tough the situation was for everyone.

Simon: Made in Dagenham is set in the 1960s. How do you intend to reflect this on stage?

Bex: The time period of the show is obviously very important, due to the time in which it took place in real life. Therefore the aesthetic of the show has to show the 1960’s in full swing. So our costumes, hair, make up etc. will be of that era and we are blessed at TFT to have access to a wonderful wardrobe full of vintage 1960’s clothes that really help ground the piece in that period.

Simon: How did you approach the casting for the different roles - what has been the experience?

Bex: Casting this show involved a long weekend of individual auditions which involved acting, singing and a large dance workshop, as well as callbacks to find the right combination of actors and actresses to work together. The thing with this show is these characters need to feel real, we need to feel like we could be looking at us and our friends up there and I am so proud of the team we’ve assembled to put on this show.

Simon: Why should people come along and watch?

Bex: Made in Dagenham is funny, poignant, based on a true story and you genuinely will walk away feeling uplifted from the strength of message. There are moments of pure laugh out loud joy, tear jerker moments, and so all you need to do is just sit, dance along in your chair and have fun!

Thank you, Bex.

Made in Dagenham performs in the Arden Theatre, Titchfield Festival Theatre between 6 – 14 September 2024. For more information including booking tickets please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/  or contact our Box Office on 0333 666 3366.