The cast performed five songs from the original musical comedy, inspired by a true story and based on a hit film, about the female employees of a motor factory in Dagenham whose strike for equal pay forms the basis of an uplifting show about friendship, love, and fighting for what’s right. It was wonderful to see some of the women who were involved in the actual strike back in 1968 in the audience, watching their story come to life in the West End.

The production has an incredible pedigree. International stage and screen actress Gemma Arterton takes the lead role of Rita O’Grady in her first foray into musical theatre. Made in Dagenham is perfect for her debut; ‘I saw the film when it came out at the cinema and loved it – it made me cry! It’s exactly up my street. The story is so vital and still relevant’. The former Bond Girl has a great voice and is mesmerising to watch on stage. As the producer confirmed, ‘she’s a star, and there’s a reason people are stars.’

Then there’s a stellar creative team. Directed by Rupert Goold, artistic director of the Almeida theatre, written by Richard Bean (of One Man, Two Guvnors), original score by Grammy Award winner David Arnold (Sherlock, James Bond) and lyrics by Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer the Opera). This formidable combination fill all the requirements of Rupert Goold’s musical recipe for Made In Dagenham ‘The British do songs really well, the British do heart really well, we do theatre really well. We should be able to do a great British musical’.

Arterton’s co-star is Adrian der Gregorian, who plays the part of Eddie, the husband of Rita O’Grady who feels hurt that his wife is never home anymore due to her striking responsibilities. He performed a ballad, showcasing an incredible voice and tear-jerking emotion. Combined with the lively ensemble numbers the cast previewed such as the title track ‘Everybody Out’ and the feisty ‘This is What I want’, the launch really demonstrated the breadth and depth of the show. As Goold remarked ‘‘I want people to have a great evening, but also to leave feeling reinvigorated about the issue. It has a life-affirming message of solidarity.’ The fun, talented cast and crew promise to bring both entertainment and this strong story to audiences.

The stunning preview left the press and special guests buzzing eager for much more, but they had to be content with waiting for October. We thoroughly recommend booking ahead to see what this phenomenal group of people can do at the Adelphi.