Catalogue Number
NMLH.2024.44.4
Object Name
programme
Title
'The Young Vic and D.A.C. Theatre Company present The Enemies Within'
Place
London
People
Young Vic Theatre, Greater London Council, D.A.C. Theatre Company, Ron Rose
Events
1984-85 Miners' Strike
Description
A collage of black and white photographs relating to the 1984-85 Miners' Strike, overlaid with an illustration of a pair of legs and shoes - the sole of one is showing and has a hole in it. Red text says 'The Young Vic and D.A.C. Theatre Company present The Enemies Within'.
The Enemies Within was written by Ron Rose compiled from the transcripts of interviews taken with people in South Yorkshire mining communities during the 1984-85 Miners' Strike. The production was financed by the Greater London Council, and produced by the Young Vic theatre and D.A.C. Theatre Company, a political theatre group. The programme includes details to assist the audience to better understand the Strike, including a time line. The title is a reference to a statement given by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher describing striking miners. She claimed the UK had defeated "the enemy without" in the Falklands War, but work was still needed to defeat "the enemy within" (the strikers).
The 1984-85 Miners' Strike was called following the Conservative government's announcement that 20 collieries would be closed, and twenty thousand miners would lose their jobs. The closures of pits would mean the loss of the main source of employment in many communities. Strikers families were prevented from drawing on public welfare by the government, and many fell into financial hardship that was only eased through public support of strike funds. Police intimidation and violence against pickets and strikers was rampant, with over eleven thousand strikers arrested during the strike. This experience is documented in the play.
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