Whitburn and Kingdom Brass to feature in national theatre production

Whitburn Band and Kingdom Brass will be sharing the brass band duties in the stage production of KELI when it begins its run of performances in Scotland later this month.

Written and composed by Martin Green, KELI tells the story of a fiery, sharp-witted teenager in a former mining town. Coal means little to Keli, but the mines left music in the blood of this place.  

As the best player her brass band has ever had, music is easy. Everything else is a fight. Feeling trapped in small-town life, pressure mounts. 

When the chance to change everything arises, can Keli keep a lid on it all?  

Marking 40 years since the miners' strikes and featuring a sharp, hilarious script and live brass score by Ivor Novello winner Martin Green, KELI is a gripping show about community, creativity, and the power of music.  

Touring Scotland in 2025, the show will reach audiences across the country who belong to communities that were hugely affected by the miners’ strike of 1984-85. 

The show previews at the Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, before opening at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, and touring to Dundee Rep Theatre, Perth Theatre and Tramway, Glasgow, from May to June.  

The opening performance at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, is on Thursday 15 May. 

Best known as the virtuoso accordionist in the visionary folk trio Lau, Martin Green has spent the past two years on an odyssey deep into the world of brass bands, culminating in this staging of KELI, marking its world premiere as a stage play.

Making his professional debut as a playwright, Green was inspired by conversations he had for the BBC Radio 4 series Love, Spit and Valve Oil.  

To celebrate the opening of KELI, the album Split the Air will be available as a limited run, bright red vinyl, which will be available for pre-order and to purchase at performances. 

For full details on how to book, visit the National Theatre of Scotland website.

Players from Whitburn Band and Kingdom Brass at their first joint rehearsal for KELI