Writer Lee Hall achieved phenomenal success when his screenplay for Billy Elliott became a worldwide hit, both on screen and stage.

While many writers might have struggled with the pressure of creating a follow up, Hall took everything in his stride and came up with The Pitmen Painters, a play that took the National Theatre by storm back in 2007.

The play tells the story of the Ashington Group, a small society of artists, made up mainly of miners from Ashington in Northumberland, who met regularly from 1934 to 1984.

Hall admits the play is on similar territory to Billy Elliot but he felt the story of the Ashington Group, which he discovered after finding a book about them in a second hand bookshop, was too good to ignore.

“I am always on the hunt for subjects for plays and when I saw this book called The Pitmen Painters I thought it sounded like an oxymoron,” he explains.

“At first my heart sank bit a because I thought I had done mining and art but by the time I flicked through it I realised it was a brilliant story and it was like a prequel to Billy Elliot. Miners, who could have been Billy’s grandfather, did high art and succeeded.”

The Pitmen Painters charts The Ashington Group's rise from uncertain novices to confident exhibitors and Hall is delighted that the production, which calls in at Richmond Theatre next week as part of a nationwide tour, continues to attract audiences to the theatre.

He adds: “It is amazing to have a serious play that has been around for so long – we are in the fourth year and it is great to be bringing it back to Britain after a run on Broadway.

“When you run a show for that long it develops a real weight to it and the audiences on the tour have been loving it.”

While the play deals with serious issues, such as economic depression, Hall was adamant that it also needed plenty of humour, and it is the successful striking of this balance that has been key to the play's appeal.

“I want people to go and see a play of mine and have a good night out,” he adds.

“Hopefully, people will see the serious things in it too but if a play doesn’t make you laugh and move you emotionally then I don’t think it has really worked.”

The Pitmen Painters, Richmond Theatre, July 11 – 16, to book tickets and for more information visit ambassadortickets.com