COAL - Gary Clarke Company
Marking the 30th anniversary of the end of the 1984/85 British Miners’ strike, award winning choreographer Gary Clarke proudly presents COAL, a riveting dance theatre show which takes a nostalgic look at the hard hitting realities of life at the coal face.
Strong, powerful and emotive, COAL explores the darker underbelly of the mining industry unearthing the true nature and body wrecking demands of a working class industry now almost forgotten.
“COAL is a direct response to my upbringing in the working class mining village of Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire. It’s about trying to capture a time in British history that is too easily forgotten. It is an attempt at keeping the memories of the mining industry alive, an industry that I believe shaped the fabric of our society and how we live our lives today. These communities are at the heart of COAL.” Gary Clarke 2015.
COAL premiered in 2015 and toured both nationally and internationally for 3 years.
I joined Gary Clarke Company for the 3rd year of touring, taking on the role of a ‘Miner’ and ‘The Scab’. I toured with COAL across England and Scotland, before finishing our final performances in Germany.
COAL includes 7 professional dancers, a local community cast of women and a live brass band.