For actor musician Joey Hickman, the opportunity to be part of a production which involved performing alongside members of a brass band has been a thrilling experience.

Brassed Off, which is now at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre, will see members of the award-winning Wingates Brass Band and Eagley Band sharing the stage with the cast in this new adaptation of the hit movie which starred Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan McGregor.

Joey Hickman and the cast of Brassed Off (Picture: Pamela Raith)

Set in 1994, the tight-knit mining community of Grimley is fighting to keep the colliery open. The miners’ brass band is a ray of hope and band leader Danny is trying desperately to keep it together and to qualify for the national championships at the Royal Albert Hall against all the odds.

“Although there are political elements to the play the focus is not on politics, it’s about human beings trying to make ends meet and get along in really tough times,” said Joey.

“What comes with that is a lot of humour, love and joy as well as poignancy as well as seeing their community ripped apart with the potential closure of the mine. Then you’ve got the pride them of wanting to keep the band going.

“But at the same time many of the miners are being offered quite a lot of money to accept the closure which proves very tempting.

“That’s particularly appealing for my character Phil who is chronically in debt and his family have nothing.”

Although it is almost 30 years since the movie was released, Brassed Off remains very relevant today.

The show has already been performed at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick and in Scarborough before coming to The Octagon and the audience reaction has been phenomenal.

“I think that people can relate to so many elements within the play,” said Joey. “It’s a show full of passion and part of that is down to the fact that you have musicians playing live throughout the production.”

Five cast members are actor musicians and they are joined for each performance by seven members of established brass bands.

“What I love about this show is that at its core it is about community,” said Joey, “and at every show there is an element of a community band getting involved. As a result there is a special camaraderie within the show between the performers and the musicians which is really special.

“At first you find that the brass band members are a bit shy. They are not used to being on stage and being part of a performance but after a couple of nights they get really into it.”

Having to perform alongside seasoned brass musicians has proved to be an enjoyable challenge for the cast.

“In Bolton we’ve got some championship players so they’ll give us a run for our money,” he laughed. “But that’s what’s so brilliant for me about this whole thing.

“I started to learn the trombone when I was 18 but I didn’t go through the traditional brass band route. I was a pianist really but I always wanted to learn the trombone.

“I’m 35 now so I think I’ve just about worked it out but whenever I’ve played live before it’s either been part of a three-piece brass section or even just on my own.

“There is something magical about playing with a brass band - it’s such a powerful sound.”

The music is an integral part of Brassed Off.

“I think that’s what makes this production so special,” said Joey. “It’s not a musical nor are the actor musicians just playing to accompany the play. This is full on brass music and we are playing as a brass band; it’s almost like show with an orchestra on stage and the actors are part of the orchestra.

“It’s not something you see that often which makes it special. It’s a straight play with music at its core.”

One thing that audiences have been discovering during the show’s run is the power of a brass band.

“Of all types of music I think brass music really impacts an audience,” said Joey. “As soon as they hear it for first time it evokes deep emotional feelings and the power of it almost takes their breath away. You can sense them going ‘woah, what is this?’ when the band starts to play.

“I think there’s also something very warm and comforting about hearing a brass band. Whether you heard it on the TV or on an advert, people can relate to the sound of a brass band - there’s something quite nostalgic about it too; an old-fashioned storytelling element which goes back to people being in a space with a guitar or accordion and telling a story with music involved.”

Joey Hickman and the cast of Brassed Off (Picture: Pamela Raith)

Joey is one of a growing number of actor musicians who are becoming increasingly in-demand as more and more productions require their unique skill set.

“Actor musicians are certainly being used in more shows,” said Joey. “I love that as it creates more opportunities.

“When I started out I loved both acting and music but didn’t realise you could do both. I was looking at drama and music at university but there was no real collaboration. Luckily I found Rose Bruford College which had this course which was actor training but also incorporated music within it. It was the only place for many years to have a designated actor musician course. Now thankfully there are more of them which is sign of the times. The craft of the actor musician is being embraced in a big way.”

Joey will be returning to the Octagon after starring in Brief Encounter which was at the theatre in 2022.

“The audiences were brilliant,” he said. “It was lovely to feel that connection which the audiences clearly have for the Octagon and I can’t wait to see how they will react to Brassed Off. I know there has been a lot of interest in the show and for us as performers it makes such a difference when you can feel how much an audience is enjoying the production.

“I genuinely do think that Brassed Off is a very special show and it has been quite special to be part of this unique experience.”

Brassed Off, Bolton Octagon, until Saturday, September 28. Details from www.octagontheatre.co.uk