My two North East shows will honour the centenary of the 1926 General Strike
A South Shields playwright is marking the centenary of the 1926 General Strike.
Ed Waugh, a South Shields-based playwright, is set to bring two shows to stages in the North East next year as he pays homage to the region’s role in the 1926 General Strike.
The nine-day period of strike action took place from May 4 to May 12, 1926, as the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) unsuccessfully attempted to force the government to prevent wage reductions and worsening conditions for 1.2 million coal miners.
The strike period saw around 1.7 million workers go out on strike in what was described as the “biggest rupture in society since the English Civil War”.
Following sell-out success in November 2024, Ed’s show, ‘The Cramlington Train Wreckers’ will transfer to the Newcastle Theatre Royal on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
The story outlines how eight Cramlington miners inadvertently derailed the Flying Scotsman during the General Strike on May 10, 1926.
Speaking about the show, Ed said: “No one died in the derailment and only one person was slightly injured.
“Eight strikers received a combined penal sentence of 48 years in Maidstone prison in Kent - more than 300 miles from their homes and families.
“They were only allowed a single, one-hour visit a year by their loved ones.”
It will be Ed’s seventh play to transfer to the Newcastle Theatre Royal, on Grey Street - a record number for a local writer.
The second show, titled ‘Centenary’ will run at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, in Gateshead, will take to the stage on Monday, May 4, 2026 - exactly 100 years to the day that the General Strike started.
The production comprises of songs, comedy sketches, stand-up comedy and recitations.
Ed added: “May 4 marks the first full day of the nine-day stoppage, which was sold out by the TUC leadership on May 12.
“It’s amazing to think we’ll be performing the show exactly 100 years to the day that the General Strike actually started.”
For full details about both shows, visit: https://www.cramlingtontrainwreckers.co.uk/.