The Hired Man

Acclaimed for its epic, nostalgic, funny book and rousing, romantic, award-winning score, The Hired Man is arguably the finest new British musical of the last thirty years.

Set against the backdrop of the Cumbrian lakes in the early years of the twentieth century, it tells the timeless, moving story of a young married couple and their struggle to carve a living from the land, just as the traditional rhythms of English country life are being swept away by the gathering storm of war in Europe. It’s haunting, thrilling, stirring stuff.

Now the Mercury Theatre;s new Artistic Director Daniel Buckroyd has reassembled the creative team behind his critically-acclaimed 2008 touring production of this wonderful show, which captivated audiences throughout the UK before transferring to New York.

The Hired Man is based on the much-loved novel by Melvyn Bragg, and brought to life by the heartbreakingly-beautiful music of Howard Goodall, the EMMY, BRIT and BAFTA award-winning composer of stage musicals including the recent West End hit Love Story, and film and TV scores including themes for Blackadder, The Vicar of Dibley, Mr Bean and QI.