COAL Premiered 11 February 2016, Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome.
Winner of UK Theatre Award Achievement in Dance & Critics’ Circle National Dance Award Best Independent Company.
★★★★
“An absorbing, immediate slice of history rendered with the kind of emotional truth that deepens its impact as popular entertainment.”
A riveting award-winning dance theatre show which takes a nostalgic look at the hard-hitting realities of life in the coalfields.
Originally created to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1984/5 British Miners’ Strike, COAL premiered in 2016 and toured extensively to critical and audience acclaim until 2018.
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 community now almost forgotten.
Bringing together Clarke’s striking and highly physical choreography performed by a company of 7 professional dancers, a local community cast of women and a live brass band, COAL is an emotional, moving and STILL ever relevant exploration of community, solidarity and survival.
“One of the most powerful, moving pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen on the miners’ strike.”
Original Creative Team
Artistic Direction: Gary Clarke
Producer: Annabel Dunbar
Artistic Associate: TC Howard
Choreography: Gary Clarke and COAL dancers
Dramaturgy: Lou Cope
Set & Costume Design: Ryan Dawson Laight
Lighting Design: Charles Webber
Musical Director: Steven Roberts
Soundscape Design: Daniel Thomas
Film Music: Kit Bodenham
Archive Film Maker: Siobhan Mckeown
Assistant to Costume Designer: Hannah Boothman
Thatcher’s Voice: Steve Nallon
Miner’s Voice: Bruce Wilson
Originally:
Produced by: Gary Clarke and Annabel Dunbar. ( As Independents, under the banner of Gary Clarke Company)
Co-commissioned by: DanceXchange; Cast; The Place; Dance City; Dance4 with Nottingham Playhouse; The Civic Barnsley; Yorkshire Dance.
Funded by: The National Lottery through Arts Council England and Creative Scotland project grants, Individual Giving through kick-starter with support from The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, The National Union of Mineworkers and Tunnocks.
Age Guidance: 12+
Duration: 90 minutes
For videos, interviews, photos and full background info about the show go to www.coaltour.co.uk
Trailer
Tour Dates
Current Touring
* COMING SOON | 2027
Gary Clarke Company plans to revive COAL to tour in 2027+
DATES to be announced later in 2026
Past dates
- Birmingham Patrick Centre 11*-13 Feb 2016 *World Premiere
- Barnsley The Civic 19-20 Feb 2016
- Doncaster Cast 5 Mar 2016
- Newport Riverside 16 Mar 2016 (Part of British Dance Edition)
- London The Place 15 & 16 Apr 2016
- Newcastle Dance City 29 & 30 Apr 2016
- Nottingham Playhouse 23 & 24 May 2016
- Glasgow Tramway 30 Sept & 1 Oct 2016
- Huddersfield LBT 18 & 19 Oct 2016
- Canterbury Gulbenkian 28 Oct 2016
- Durham Gala Theatre 10 & 11 Nov 2016
- Caerphilly Blackwood Miner’s Institute 24 & 25 Nov 2016
- Manchester Contact 7 & 8 Dec 2016
- Liverpool Leap Festival / North Docks 1 & 2 Mar 2017
- Blackpool Grand Theatre 29 Mar 2017
- Leicester Curve 15 Apr 2017
- Derby Derby Theatre 9 & 10 Mar 2017
- Poole Lighthouse 31 May 2017
- Nottingham Playhouse 19 & 20 Jun 2017
- Edinburgh Traverse 16 - 16 Sept 2017
- Greenock Beacon Arts Centre 21 Sept 2017
- Stirling Macrobert Arts Centre 28 - 30 Sept 2017
- Canterbury The Marlowe 8 Feb 2018
- Doncaster Cast 14 Feb 2018
- Inverness Eden Court 9 & 10 Mar 2018
- St Andrews The Byre 13 & 14 Mar 2018
- Belfast The MAC 21 & 22 Mar 2018
- Brighton Dome Concert Hall 28 Mar 2018
- Recklinghausen Kleines Theater 8* - 10 Mar 2018 *German Première - Rurhfestspiele
Credits
Professional Performers - Touring
2016, 2017 & 2018
The Miners:
Alistar Goldsmith (2016 -2018); Nicolas Vendange (2016 & Spring 2017); James Finnemore (2016 & Stirling 2017); Joss Carter (2016 & 2017); Connor Quill (Spring 2016); Parsifal James Hurst (Autumn 2016 – 2018); Beno Novak (2017 & 2018); Neal Maxwell (Edinburgh 2017); Robert Anderson (2018); Jack Sergison (2018).
The Miners Wife: TC Howard (2016 -2018)
Thatcher: El Perry (2016 – 2018); Patricia Langa (Recklinghausen, Germany 2018)
Production & Promotion Team - Touring
2016, 2017 & 2018
Artistic Director: Gary Clarke
Producer (& Tour Manager): Annabel Dunbar
Musical Director: Steven Roberts
Production Manager: Nia Wood (2016, Autumn 2017 & 2018)
Technical Manager/Re-lighter: Huw Williams (Spring 2017); Chris Copland (Autumn 2017 & 2018)
Production Technician/Stage Manager: Elb Hall
Wardrobe: Hannah Boothman
Administration: Jane Whitehead
Marketing Manager: Tiffany Evans
Engagement Manager: Vanessa Oxspring (Spring 2016) Laura Barber (Autumn 2016 – 2018)
Press and PR: John Highfield
Digital Consultants: HDK
Admin Assistant: Gina Walters
Promotional Filming: Josh Hawkins
Promotional Photography: Joe Armitage (Boneshaker Photography)
Graphic Design: Jo Briggs (Up For Grabs)
The Pit Women (Community Casts) & Championship Brass Bands
2016
Patrick Centre, Birmingham
City of Birmingham Brass Band
Michelle Burgess, Heather Albrighton, Jeni Bennett, Lindsey Richards
The Civic, Barnsley
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Leanne Crowther, Michaela Short, Michelle Clegg, Nicole Evans
Cast, Doncaster
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Kelly Leighton, Kimberley Leighton, Emma Telford-Leighton, Leanne Crowther
Newport (BDE)
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Michaela Short, Kelly Leighton, Kimberley Leighton, Emma Telford-Leighton
The Place, London
North London Brass
Jackie Hindson, Mary Cox, Bonnie Adair, Kelly Leighton
Dance City, Newcastle
NASUWT Riverside Band Colliery Band
Liz-Anne Worrall, Caroline Dean, Caroleann Nixon, Jaene Davies
Nottingham Playhouse
Thoresby Colliery Band
Wendy Gerrard-Tarpey, Maggie Burrows, Claire Hale, Kelly Leighton
Tramway, Glasgow
The Kirkintilloch Band
Janette Adams, Lillian Kerr, Ann Marie Craig, Eileen McCrae
Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
Brighouse and Rastrick Band
Catherine Grey, Jenny Goodman, Janet Parkins, Pauline House
Gulbenkian, Canterbury
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Georgie Bainbridge, Nikki Carter, Moya Munro, Sue Risby
Gala Theatre, Durham
NASUWT Riverside Band
Jude Downing, Hazel McGregor, Bethany Coyle, Veronica Naisbitt
Blackwood Miners’ Institute, Caerphilly
Tredegar Town Band
Elizabeth Pike, Clare Potter, Cheryl Hunt, Carol Woodford
Contact Theatre, Manchester
The Fairey Band
Lesley Brady, Susan Kearney, Pegeen Murphy, Miriam Wild
2017
Make Liverpool/LEAP Festival
The Fairey Band
Gilda Possibile, Paula Stewart, Danielle Kavanagh, Kirstie Burton
Grand Theatre, Blackpool
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Carol Ashbridge, Emma Cartwright, Christine Braddle, Helen First
Curve, Leicester
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Tara Cousins, Patricia Kneale-Buxton, Katie Adkins, Sylvia John
Derby Theatre
Derwent Brass
Jill Henderson, Alison Loydall, Sarah Cooper, Kate Phillips
Lighthouse, Poole
Filton Concert Brass
Jackie Hindson, Jacqueline Reining, Jo Guess, Sarah Cooper
Nottingham Playhouse
Hatfield Colliery Band
Cathy Robinson, Kathryn McAuley, Lisa Chamberlain, Suzanne Barlow, Wendy Gerard Tarpley, Claire Hale
Traverse, Edinburgh
Whitburn Band
Carol Dickson, Eileen McCrae, Kate Macsween, Lillian Kerr
Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
Kirkintilloch Band
Brenda McDermid, Mary Greig, Alice Paul, Martha Hynds
Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling
Whitburn Band
Ann McArthur, Fiona Millae, Jane Nelson, Sally Young
2018
Marlowe, Canterbury
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Julie Gambrill, Amanda Gerrard, Reiltin Tighe, Yolanda Varney
Cast, Doncaster
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Kelly Leighton, Kimberley Leighton, Emma Telford-Leighton, Sarah Robinson
Eden Court, Inverness
Whitburn Band plus Glasgow Conservatoire
Morag Barron, Amanda Luscombe-Smith, Julie Keen, Katy Kitchingham
The Byre, St Andrews
Whitburn Band
St Andrews: Jane Nelson, Sally Young, Martha Hynds, Alice Paul
MAC, Belfast
Downshire Brass
Linda Armitage, Emma Copeland, Nickie Fell, Michele Smyth
Dome Concert Hall, Brighton
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Georgie Bainbridge, Nikki Carter, Moya Munro, Sue Risby
Ruhrfestspiele, Recklinghausen
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Kelly Leighton, Kimberley Leighton, Emma Telford-Leighton, Sarah Robinson