60 Years ago on October 21, 1966 a mining accident occurred at the Merthyr Vale Colliery at Aberfan, Wales, resulting in 144 deaths, including 116 children.

For half a century the mining waste was dumped in spoil tips (or slagheaps as they were locally known) on the flanks of Merthyr Mountain, directly above Aberfan. The ground below consisted of sandstone riddled with underground springs. One Friday morning in October 1966, subsidence occurred in Tip Number Seven after heavy rain, causing a slide of liquefied debris that flowed swiftly down the mountainside towards the village below, reaching a depth of 40ft and a reported speed of more than 80 miles per hour. It hit Aberfan and smashed into the Pantglas Junior School, which stood immediately below the spoil tip, minutes after the pupils had assembled.

The Revlon Girl is set in 1967, 8 months after the disaster that shook the whole community and tells the real-life story of a group of bereaved mothers who meet every week in a room above a local pub to talk, cry and even laugh without feeling guilty. At one of the meetings, they admit how much they feel they have let themselves go. They secretly arrange for a representative from Revlon to come and give them a talk on beauty tips who they usher in quietly, afraid that people will think them frivolous.

As the evening progresses, the inclusion of an outsider sparks conversations about subjects normally kept hidden. Friendly banter turns into bickering, emotional outbursts, resentment and anger, all interspersed with humour.

Be prepared to laugh and cry as this story comes to life on our studio stage – and don’t forget to bring your tissues!