'Arson About'

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'Arson About' by Mark Wheeller is a new play which aims to deter arson attacks. Schools are the buildings most at risk from arson, and the play describes a typical incident which culminates in tragedy. The complete package lasts 75 minutes and is targeted at Year 8.

The story unfolds like a murder mystery, with the characters desperate to know who is sending anonymous notes to a teacher. Ian is accused but desperate to clear his name. With his girlfriend Molly and mate Stueey, he breaks into the school one night. But loner Shuttle has just bought a can of petrol. By the end of the night the school is on fire, but where are the teenagers? As the smoke clears, we discover the tragic cost of "just arsing about".

The performance will be followed by an interactive drama workshop that communicates key facts about arson in the UK and explores the consequences on both those caught up in a fire, and those convicted of causing it.

The play was published in 2004 by Nelson Thornes and was originally written for drama classes and youth theatres. The theatre-in-education script has been adapted by the playwright for a cast of 4 with a running time of 45 minutes. Mark Wheeller is Britain 's best known educational playwright. He is one of the top 3 performed writers for GCSE drama exams, along with Alan Ayckbourn and John Godber.

StopWatch Theatre Company is one of the UK 's most prolific professional Theatre-in-Education companies. They were established in 1990 by Adrian New and Steven Pearce, and have since performed to over one million young people. They are well known for producing accessible, challenging theatre, which has the power to affect profoundly the behaviour and attitudes of young people. Among a wide body of work, they have been performing Mark Wheeller's "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?" in UK schools since 1992.