The stage musical version of the hit film Made in Dagenham will have it’s official opening next week in the West End.

The show stars actress Gemma Arterton, from Gravesend, in the role of Rita O’Grady, who leads her fellow sewing-machinists in a string of strikes through 1968.

It follows the plot of the 2010 film of the same name, portraying the struggle of women toiling at car giant Ford’s famous plant in Dagenham.

The plant has cut down it’s operations since the 60s, but last week received £8.9million of funding from the government, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in person, towards producing a new diesel engine

In the show, Rita discovers she and her colleagues earn much less than the men in their workplace, but are also in line for a pay cut.

She decides to put her foot – and her sewing tools – down and launch a campaign for fair pay, a battle she takes all the way to Number 10.

The new musical, shown at the Adelphi Theatre from November 5, following some preview performances since October 9, is directed by award-winning theatre director Rupert Goold and written for the stage by Richard Bean, of the hit play One Man, Two Guvnors.

Goold said: “It’s such an engaging, relatable and vital story and I’m convinced as a musical we can bring even more to it.”

Tickets cost £69.50.

To book visit madeindagenhamthemusical.com