The story is set predominantly in the rural area around Thurston (Bragg's name for Wigton, his home town), from the 1890s to the 1920s, and follows the life of John Tallentire, a farm labourer and coal miner.

In 1984[1] The Hired Man was turned into an award-winning musical with Bragg collaborating with Howard Goodall.

Time passes, and World War I disrupts the country, John, Isaac and Jackson all serve in the armed forces.

In 2011 The Hired Man was revived at the Landor Theatre, London, directed by Andrew Keates, with a cast of 17.

The Musical Youth Company of Oxford performed the show in April 2017, and received several supportive tweets from Howard Goodall.

The cast included Ifan Gwilym-Jones as John, Rebecca Gilliland as Emily, Luke Kelly as Jackson, Kara Taylor Alberts as May and Jack McNeill as Harry.