James Kenworth appreciation

James Kenworth

I met James early on in TSL’s life when we were setting up the company and I was still involved in Further Education. James is still involved in Education – at Middlesex University.
He was looking to get his community play, When Chaplin met Gandhi, published. The debut production took place in the same venue where years before Charlie Chaplin met Gandhi in the East End of London. I never saw the production but having a little insight from James and then working with the script made it very visual.
Sadly, another community play he wanted to publish was stopped by the copyright holder who felt there were too many versions of the story around. It was a huge pity, as the script in question was as good and community focused as Chaplin and Gandhi.
I’m not sure how many history-related community plays there are out there but the idea of involving communities in learning about their past appeals greatly, especially when they are little known events concerning well-known people or celebrities. Even if you aren’t likely to be involved in a community play, I recommend When Chaplin met Gandhi for some insight into London’s East End past.