Coal   2015  - 2018 

Dancer/associate artist /head of pit women - community rehearsal director

 

Gary Clarke’s Coal was created to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1984/5 British miners’ strike, a riveting dance theatre show which takes a nostalgic look at the hard-hitting realities of life at the coal face. A strong, powerful and emotive piece of work that explores the darker underbelly of the mining industry and the solidarity and survival of the working class.

 

TC, a northern working class lass herself, was part of the research and development process and devising of Coal with the original cast in 2015. She visited mining communities, was invited into homes, held hands and listened to stories from those that had first hand experience. She went down mines, interviewed Ann Scargill and Betty Cook and worked closely with the the first group of Pit Women from Doncaster that joined the cast. The involvement of these women became instrumental in the discovery of how to authentically portray the women’s role within Coal. Over ninety women from all over the UK followed in their footsteps, joining TC on stage to represent the Women Against Pit Closures, very much at the heart of the work alongside the professional dancers and the live brass bands.

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Winner of 2016 UK Theatre Awards Achievement in Dance, and

Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Independent Company.

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Review  by Jo Turbitt, Across The Arts - "The humour is spot on, and he’s found an absolute gem in the uber-talented TC Howard, a small but very mighty firecracker who pulls you in to the bosom and heart of the community, into every aspect of her world, with a no-holds-barred “come join the party” attitude."

 

Review by Simon Fallaha, The Big List - "As the figurehead of working class women, Howard takes her performance to another level, inspiring the communal cast."

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https://coaltour.co.uk/the-show/women-against-pit-closures/