In 1986 Sheep Worrying moved into the realm of agit prop theatre with a series of socialist history plays based on little known incidents in Bridgwater’s history. Brian Smedley researched the Brickyard Strike of 1896 which had seen troops brought onto the streets of Bridgwater to put down a major industrial dispute and turned it into a stage play. The BBC featured the show and filmed scenes from it on the site of the old Brick Yards along modern day Wylds road.
Some notable roles in the show included real life trade union leader Dave Chapple as 19th century radical Ben Tillet and Stuart Croskell as Bridgwater Mayor Henry Pollard who had to step outside of the town hall on the night of July 2nd 1896 and read the riot act to the strikers. Sadly, when Stuart did this his false moustache flew off…
The full story of the strike can be read here.
