S2 E7: What can Brassed Off (1996) tell us about deindustrialisation and working-class communities?

In 1996, tonight’s film kicked off a series of British films set in working class communities, in the north of England, as they struggled to come to terms with the decline of heavy industry. Unlike some kitchen sink dramas of 1950s and 1960s these combined earthy subject matter with comedy, romance and an eye on the transatlantic market. The Full Monty prompted the chart topping re-release of Hot Chocolate’s You Sexy Thing. Billy Elliot swept the board at the Baftas and gained three Oscar nominations and a spin off west end sensation. All of three would have been good candidates to answer tonight’s question. But this tale of a brass band beating the odds to perform at the Albert Hall set against the background of the closure of one of the largest pits in Britain, is the most beloved, at least by these podcasters and that’s a good enough reason as any for choosing Brassed Off to answer the question: What can Brassed Off tell us about deindustrialisation and working-class communities? Host, Phil Heaton Resident historians, Dr Morris Brodie and Dr Sam Manning And tonight’s special guest Dr Pete Hodson, Oral Historian and Post-doctoral fellow at Trinity College Dublin, and specialist in deindustrialisation.