London Drama Book Club: Carved From Coal by Andy Kempe

Join our fun and friendly book club where we will spend an hour on a Sunday afternoon reading plays together from the comfort of home wherever that may be and in doing so be transported into new territory or old favourites.

On Sunday 20th September 5-6pm on Zoom, led by Andy Kempe, we will have a read through of his play, Carved From Coal, (it is less than 20 minutes long), followed by a discussion of a practical workshop aimed at Yr 10 and above. Copies of play and workshop will be provided.

About Carved From Coal
21st October 1966. The last day of Autumn Half Term for the children of Pantglas Primary School in Aberfan. The kids would be going home at lunchtime. Except they didn't. At 9.15 as registers were being taken the slag heap above the school collapsed burying everything in its path. The school was in its path. Gethin hadn't gone to school that day, but he saw the blackness slide. 116 children died that morning. But Gethin survived. Carved From Coal is a one act play that tells a part of the story of what happened to him.

Themes of Carved From Coal
The Aberfan disaster. Survivor guilt. Honouring the dead.

Why the session will be good to come to
The timing of the event is significant coming so close to the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster. Participants will be provided with the script of Carved From Coal and a detailed workshop plan based on the play which they will then be free to use.

About Andy Kempe
I taught in comprehensive schools for ten years and led the PGCE Drama course at the University of Reading for 28. In that time I wrote a number of books and articles about a wide range of aspects of drama education. Since retiring, I have turned my attention to writing, directing and acting in a number of community theatre pieces. Over the past two years I have been lucky enough to have had five of my plays broadcast on local radio and BBC Sounds Upload. Carved From Coal is the most recent.

Book Club is an original idea by Rosie Devine
Rosie is a Goldsmiths PGCE Drama graduate and is now Subject Leader of Performing Arts at Kingsley Academy in Hounslow.