GAIETY MAIN AUDITORIUM
Tue 21 – Fri 24 Oct | 7.30pm
Sat 25 Oct | 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Tickets: £18.00 – £24.00
APOS proudly returns in 2025 with ‘Made in Dagenham’, an inspiring and electrifying musical based on true events. Inspired by the 2010 film of the same name, the show brings to life the groundbreaking 1968 Ford sewing machinists’ strike – an event that played a crucial role in shaping the fight for equal pay in the UK and beyond.
It’s 1968 in Essex, and like countless other working-class women, Rita O’Grady juggles the demands of family life with her job at Ford’s Dagenham car plant. But when management cruelly downgrades the female sewing machinists to “unskilled” workers, slashing their pay, Rita refuses to accept it. With passion, determination, and an unshakable sense of what’s right, she rallies her colleagues and takes a stand against the might of Ford, government opposition, and even the very union meant to protect them.
As their fight gains momentum, the struggle becomes bigger than any of them could have imagined, drawing national attention and shaking the foundations of the male-dominated world around them. But as the pressure mounts, Rita must navigate not only the battles on the factory floor but also the toll it takes on her family and personal life. Can she hold it all together, or will the cost of change be too high?
Filled with humour, heart, and a powerful message, ‘Made in Dagenham’ is a triumphant story of courage, solidarity, and the unstoppable force of ordinary people standing up for what they believe in. More than just a musical, it’s a celebration of a movement that changed history and paved the way for equality.