Hundreds gathered at Whitehaven Civic Hall on Tuesday for the opening night of Clog Dance the Musical.

Written by local composer John Marcangelo, the musical originally premiered in the town a decade ago, to commemorate 60 years since the William Pit disaster.

Its revival marks the 70th anniversary of the disaster, which killed 104 people.

With the addition of two new lead roles, the production stars many of the original cast and is directed once again, by David Simpson.

The musical's title song was a hit in the UK and internationally in 1979.

Later, John wrote a script and lyrics inspired by his childhood memories. He grew up in Whitehaven attending Quay Street School and remembered Brews Clog Shop.

Speaking after the show on Tuesday night, John said at first he wasn't sure whether to revive the musical but he was glad he did after the opening night was so well received.

"It's gone down equally as well as last time," he said.

"Everyone seems to have enjoyed it. We got as many bums on seats as we could get on a rainy Tuesday night in Whitehaven!"

REVIEW

There were stunning performances from a wealth of local acting talent at Clog Dance the Musical.

The show features emotive music including De Profundis - a solemn account of the tragic circumstances in which the 104 died.

A powerful performance of Going Home evokes strong emotion as the cast sing about the miners going home to God, as Grace, played beautifully by Emily Morton, sits sobbing.

There was great chemistry between Emily and her beau played with real conviction by Dan England.

Emily's real life mam, Maria Morton, who played Elderly Grace, gave a stunning performance to Dancing Days singing about her love for Albert as young Grace dances in the background.

The youngest performers, including six-year-old Bobby Donald, are adorable as they play their kazoos to Good News .

The Paperboy (Thomas Donnan) shows great promise and engages well with the audience between scenes.

A strong supportive cast, too numerous to mention, ensured this was a performance to savour.

There's plenty of good West Cumbrian crack between the miners as they chat about "gaaing yam" and greet each other with "marra".

The strong West Cumbrian dialect not only adds charm, but also acts as a stark reminder that those who died were local lads.

Tickets are available for Clog Dance, the Musical, running from October 24 to 28, from the Whitehaven Civic Hall box office; call 01946 690970 or go to www.thesolwayhall.com