Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby  begins at the end of the First World War, with everyone dressed in khaki. The officer’s role is to lead the men into battle and to die; the NCO’s role is to lead them and survive. Thomas Shelby (Conor Kerrigan) leads a tunnelling squad in the trenches with soldiers including his elder brother Arthur Shelby (Dylan Tedaldi).  It’s likely that these men, mostly from the Birmingham area, served in the same regiment: “Those who join together will fight together.”  Moi Tran’s set has tunnels on different levels for dancers to emerge from and dig into.  The survivors of this war say that they are not among the dead but they are dead inside.

A scene set in a factory illustrates the tedium of scarce employment after the war.  After demobilization, unemployment becomes the norm, and the men turn to the one they trust: Tommy Shelby. Tommy starts his own business which is organized crime.  The uniform of his new life includes the iconic Baker’s Boy cap, razor blades sewn into the peak – his wartime unit now repurposed for gang life and employment.  And the razors giving the title Peaky Blinders.  A scene using Fairground Gallopers cleverly alludes to the Shelby involvement in gambling on horse racing.