Former Bolsover MP Dennis Skinner inspires new play

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)

A play about the life and times of the former Bolsover MP Dennis Skinner will premiere in Derbyshire.

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.

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.derby theatre.co.uk

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