Join our fun and friendly book club where we will spend an hour and a half 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 23rd January 5.30-7pm we will be joined by Pete Mullineaux who will be reading and discussing his novel, Jules and Rom.

About Jules and Rom - Sci-fi meets Shakespeare

The novel comes out of my work teaching drama in schools, youth theatre and to adults for over 30 years. In 2040, in a US high school a young teacher is asked to take on a presentation of Romeo and Juliet with some rebel teenagers and their android learning buddies, who they've fallen out with. A political sub plot emerges as they explore the play against a broad background of global conflict, climate change and pandemic disease.

Themes of Jules and Rom

The novel explores emotional intelligence both in AI and humans. The immediate focus is on how we learn about ourselves through drama exploration. The tribal conflict in Romeo and Juliet is given a number of new twists and angles. Exploration of the play is the key storyline. The teacher has to bring the teenage rebels on board the project, and incorporate the android learning buddies. One question around AI becomes how to teach the LBs how to act: including faithfully follow a script while also being able to read sub-text, emotional cues and be free to improvise. Handling humour is also a challenge. Of course, the kids have difficulty with all of this too! The novel develops another layer when it's discovered that the US military are also interested in the same questions for their AI soldiers in the 'Theatre of War' - reflecting the conflict theme in Shakespeare's play.

Why the session will be good to come to

The novel offers a totally original approach to Romeo and Juliet as text, to exploring a play, to teaching drama. The book is for both adults and young adults. There's been wonderful reviews! I've been using the book myself in conjunction with my other book, a teaching resource published in 2021 - 'Interdependence Day' in recent online school visits. The students loved the novel approach!

It offers:

• New angles and insights regarding themes in Romeo and Juliet, especially around gender and patriarchy.
• Conflict resolution through drama.
• What teaching might be like in the future: pros and cons of developments in AI.
• How a play is explored with an open mind to new angles and possibilities.
• Drama structures used in exploring a play; influence of Brecht, Commedia, Stanislavsky.

About Pete Mullineaux

Pete has a BA Drama & PGCE at Middlesex, has been head of drama in a London school, and has had plays produced on fringe. Since 1991he lived in Ireland, teaching global issues through drama and poetry and has plays produced for stage and radio. He has three teaching resources published, the latest, Interdependence Day: Teaching the SDGs through Drama for All Ages (Afri/2021). His novel is Jules and Rom - Sci-fi meets Shakespeare (Matador).

Book Club is an original idea by Rosie Devine

Rosie is a Goldsmiths PGCE Drama graduate beginning her 6th year of teaching in London. She is currently holding post as Subject Leader of Performing Arts at Kingsley Academy in Hounslow..