Review of Utah Bride

Chapter Arts, Cardiff.
Sat 17th December

Where is home? Somewhere you feel you belong? Or under the love of a parent who will forever disagree with you but with the best of intentions?

Rebecca and Alice: a mother and daughter divided by a generation, religion and men. In the dead of night Alice returns to the maternal home and Rebecca wakes, only for light to be shone on the darkest corners and for truths and revelations to come out. 

It takes Alice the entire length of the play to answer Rebecca’s simple repeated question ‘Why are you here?’, continually changing the subject and disagreeing over the way things had been. Rebecca never seeing Alice’s pain or loneliness growing up in a valley where nothing changed or moved and being concerned with the way things are supposed to be – ‘What would the neighbours think’ and the Welsh Methodist mindset. Alice never seeing her mother’s joy at her little girl and giving her everything she could. Yet their lives following such similar paths as it is both husbands resort to violence, though one through drink and the other through God. The Grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

A small thing struck me, although it never slowed the plays pace or strong impact, the combination of American dream images and those of the ‘Mormon’ church are polar opposites. As the Church of Latter Day Saints believes in a simple life, banning much of everyday modern life whereas the American dream is big houses, cars and easy ready money. Or is it simply showing Rebecca’s limited understanding of the wide world outside her small Welsh valley? We are after all no different – there are striking similarities between the beliefs of both churches. Except of course the familiar ‘more tea’ and the very Welsh way of tea and talk solving every problem under the sun; something that always brings a smile. Routed firmly in Welsh Valley mentality and custom, the play used those conventions skilfully and without cliché or stereotype. 

Utah Bride is the first full length play by 1.618 Theatre Company, written by Carmen Medway-Stephens and as a play in development was shown script in hand. The director, actors and writer were given a week to explore the text for the two nights of performance in Chapter and even with everything stripped back and a simple a set, it was about more than just the words in the play as some script in hander’s can be but the play itself. With alternative endings on each night, the Saturday ending fitted perfectly, leaving the audience with the emotions of a turbulent night in front of them yet completely satisfied.

Utah Bride was a piece of theatre to feed the soul and make you think. I wish the writer and team all the best in taking it to a full performance and on tour, particularly as it is now going to be translated into Welsh.

Picture is play's promotional material/poster

Owen Sheer's Resistance - Film Review

3 Stars

It’s 1944 and the Nazi occupation of Britain has begun and the Resistance have scattered, abandoning their family and friends.

This is where Resistance opens, with farmer’s wife Sarah Lewis (Andrea Riseborough) waking alone in her bed as four men climb the hills away from the valley and a troop of Nazi soldiers entering the valley. Under the guise of occupation, their Captain undertakes the real task – searching for a lost artefact that will allow the Nazi occupiers to provide a certain justification for the war.

Traditional conventions in suspense are abandoned in favour of more menacing undertones of fear and violence. Shots are fired and their end result is clear but each shot pushes the emotional aspect rather than that of the gory, front-line convention of war. Yet in the truest sense of audience suspense we witness the shooting of four men and ambiguity is built as to whether it is the missing husbands only to find out along with Maggie that her husband is very likely dead.

The minimalistic dialogue and stretches of silence throughout the 90 minutes certainly adds substance to the ever present violent undertones and bleak desolation of the valley. Whilst dialogue is not necessarily needed to convey the emotional bridges being traversed by the characters – especially with the language barrier, the lack of dialogue creates frustration for the audience, wanting interaction beyond suggestive body language. In several scenes at the start the women’s silence towards Albrecht (Tom Wlaschiha) the only English speaker in the troupe, is conveyed as a protest towards the Olchan Valley occupation. 

The short sections of film detailing the ‘secret mission’ are exactly that: short - mixing the
mission to find the artefact into the plot feels like an added extra to give Sarah and Albrecht more chance to bond, rather than a greater purpose for soldiers at war. It left me wanting either more made of the secret mission sub-plot, or none at all. Sheen’s part is a cameo, bringing in the resistance element into the film with George (Iwan Rheon), a young boy entrusted with the task of observing and possibly intervening against collaborators. Although Sheen is ceremoniously killed by the German’s once discovered.

Wearied by war, Albrecht sets his men to help the women on their farms as the depths of winter set in and trap them all in the valley: there is a surreal normality set up as the men don civilian clothing, as if life carries on with or without war.

The bond formed between Sarah and Albrecht is endearing and although she still misses her husband Tom, writing to him almost every day in a journal she needs Albrecht’s presence and kindness. Her mind is at war between her memories of her husband and her growing feelings for him.

The end sequence of scenes is the most heart-breaking: it is George’s actions against Maggie’s seen ‘collaboration’ with the soldier in the country fair that brings about the characters final actions. With Maggie’s discovery her husband likely dead and her horse shot dead beside her she goes into shock, followed by the panic of one soldier who runs off with the radio to inform his superior’s. Sarah and Albrecht make to run to the hills yet it is Sarah’s loyalty to Tom that destroys him. She sets fire to the artefact in act of love and betrayal, love for her country and for him yet if German superiors found Albrecht and the destroyed artefact they would kill him as a traitor outright. Sarah wanders off into the hills to find Tom, leaving Albrecht to discover her abandonment as he runs back to the house in fear.

I must admit, one curious part of my evening was my discussion after with a particularly picky historian and it was his opinion that the film’s premise of “Imagine if D-Day had failed...” was historically inaccurate, fictionalized and counter-factual or not, the German occupation of Britain would never have occurred after D-Day or even that late in the war if D-Day hadn’t been planned: in 1941 maybe, not 1944. Although he did admit, that aside, it was a very good film.

For all its slights Resistance is a powerful emotional film with vats of atmosphere and fantastic casting, the use of the landscape is dominating and commands the audience appreciation of its beauty and volatility.

Review of Dirty Protest' Office Christmas Party

1^st December

Various locations on City Road, Cardiff.

 Writers:

Duncan Macmillan
Beth Granville
Alan Harris
Aled Roberts
Marged Parry

It’s the 1^st December, so Christmas has come again, at least it was for Dirty Protest’s curious menagerie of plays last week. Presented with a Christmas card, sweets and tinsel the party atmosphere descends unapologetically and invites you to sit, drink and be merry.  Billed as five new plays exploring the world of the Office Christmas Party, Dirty Protest’s talented writers took the audience around an Office Party Time zone, from the before and after to slap bang in the middle and the outside looking in.

First up was A Cold Coming by Aled Roberts, having settled in warmth of the Park Conservative Club with drink in hand, a body is carried through the crowd accompanied by take-away pizza and the cast. Brought together by the request of a dying man for his last rights, the short piece focused on the feelings brought out by the significance of Christmas – Carrie and her failed relationship with her mother and the slightly predictable religious banter between rival parish priests. It was an engrossing piece that could be explored and taken beyond its short life.

Next up was Foiled: introduced to Sabrina, a stereotypical hairdresser and her staff; we follow the antics disastrous events as they finish up shop before the Christmas party. The strongest performer was Francois Pandolfo playing Richie. The piece did appeal to the audience with spectacularly funny moments although there was a reliance on stereotypes to carry it forward.

Duncan Macmillan’s Mistakes have Been Made brought in the theme of recession much more than the others with a one man show about a shady, smooth talking Manager whose rambling party speech told the story of an ailing company struggling with corruption throughout its ranks. Filled with office anecdotes of desk sabotage and mockery of other offices, the audience played the part of his employee’s, raising glasses and allowing him to interact, creating a far more solid office party experience. It ended with real sabotage as ‘audience members’ bundled him into a back room for a ‘beating’: certainly the strongest of the five pieces.  

The cosy Yurt at Milgi’s was up next for Before I go.  A small slice of the world outside the Christmas Party was represented by this one man monologue: a victim of recession cuts, John laments over his job as Santa for Christmas to Janet a co-worker who never took notice of his feelings.  Ditched, he is slipping away molecule by molecule.  Given the 15 minute slot the piece gave enough to enjoy it with a rather engrossing narrative – pity it couldn’t have been that little bit longer.

Lastly was The Demise of Photocopy Boy: Mary, played by Hanna Jarman, awaited a bus home after the office party and the audience were witness to her curious ramblings and opinions of office colleagues, life and the Christmas party. Initially seeming as a digression, her wonderings about serial killers develops into a plan to kill Photocopy Boy: an innocent whose feelings have seemingly now landed him in hot water. Slightly off kilter against the others the play certainly stood out, a well written script gave it credence. Certainly stood in a bus-stop squeezed in with 20 other people listening was a different experience.

The Dirty Protest team certainly lived up to their promise and re-claimed the Christmas party, if not dirty it was most certainly daring and attention drawing: it wholly depends on where you take ‘Dirty’. An almost flawless night, any small delay between was negligible as the atmosphere buzzed and everyone got stuck in.  I certainly enjoyed being a Dirty Elf!

Incubator 2011 at Wales Millenium Centre

Wales Millennium Centre presented their very successful Incubator project Thursday last week. The project aims to assist Welsh artists and companies cultivate new work, providing an empty creative space to try things out.

The audience play a key part in the project, as the work in progress is presented to them over a single night and any feedback the audience feel they would like to give after is conveyed through the informal meet up after or posted on boards outside the Weston Studio. Each piece is roughly no more than 30/40 minutes.

Notional Theatre were first up with their piece Awkward Turtle Flips the bird. Unconventionally, the audience was asked to move onto the stage area, surrounded by a projection screen and smaller TV’s. Slang language, notably gestural slang is the hot topic here and as a slag lexicographer, Notional’s Artistic Director is in familiar territory with his ideas. Gestural slang can speak for itself and almost fully devoid of cast dialogue the piece accentuated that. The dialogue came from a voice over reading dictionary definitions for slang and related terminology. Using gestural slang as their performance language was very effective, particularly with the choreographed expressive movement although splitting concentration and attention between the voice over and the cast did at times become difficult as you interacted with the movements. Over all Awkward Turtle flips the Bird is an innovative piece that should do well as it progresses.

Seeing 3D Theatre Company again was a nice surprise, they performed a short piece at the NRTF conference in July, at Incubator they were armed with a slightly different arsenal. Wyneb Dros Dro (or Temporary Road Surface) is a Welsh language play exploring family tensions at Christmas and the disasters that can ensue. Marian has a surprise for the family, not only is there a new man in her life Dyl and Rhian discover he is much younger than her. Following the Welsh language was difficult at times as my Welsh language skills are far from comprehensive, yet the sign of a good piece is that the gist of the content came through with the cast’s performance. Done script in hand the cast were at times reliant on the papers in front of them and I recognise as a developmental piece script in hand can be useful dependant on the stage of creativity.

Moving into a new space at the WMC, Crashmat Theatre Collective sat the audience around restaurant tables. The collective investigated experimental live performance and original concepts, the piece Super Pseudo uses circus and theatre conventions in a bid to create something original and present an exploration of the private and public faces of a workforce. Circus equipment was strategically placed for the brilliantly choreographed cast to use in performance. As each act performed they were seamlessly paralleled with the voice over narrative i.e. that character’s personal thoughts. The interaction between cast and audience blurred the traditional relationship, bringing it much closer. The company’s investigation is to continue, developing the piece into a full dining experience.

Lastly, Jessie Brett’s piece Woolgatherer took the audience down into a seating area in WMC’s front hall. Gathered in a circle Jessie was not immediately discernable to the audience: blending in quite perfectly before she broke into movement and graduating to dance routines using a range of music. Created as a solo piece, it would be perfect in festivals or busy areas like London’s Covent Garden or Edinburgh during the Fringe. Jessie brought the audience into the moment, even giving the idea that there was a narrative behind her presence.

This year’s incubator was varied and extraordinarily creative and I do hope the audience gave the excellent feedback the companies deserve, in order to take their performances forward in the development process. Good luck to all four and long may this test bed of creativity in Welsh arts be successful!

The Village Social - NTW's Year 2 Opener!

The Village Social at Neath Little Theatre.  26th October 2011

(Photo's by me)

You remember them don’t you? Those fundraisers, 18^th birthdays, cake sales and Christmas concerts, all played out in those unassuming Village Halls, Community Centres and Workman’s Halls. National Theatre Wales does well to build on a concept familiar to all, yet now rarely encountered in reality. The Village Social is its name and it brings us Cae Bach: a place where the darkest corners of life descend on unsuspecting folk in a bizarre mix of music blood and laughter.

The production is a clever mix of part theatre, part social experiment: bringing convention crashing down in fabulous NTW fashion, where moments of total seriousness walk hand in hand with complete absurdity. The woodcraft folk are a group of teenagers led by an apparently normal, quiet boy and are there to do things other than “...drink white lightening and getting Asbo’s” , they proceed to sing a song full of innocence and the language of the deepest of dark winters. Then there are the five legends of Cae Bach...... from Cernuous the horned god of Celtic legend to a little girl who danced to death in the 19^th Century and the lovers Arthur and Anwen Mair.

Having bought refreshments and raffle tickets the audience settle down and are introduced to the five community council members presenting the show, who bluster and bicker as the Clairvoyant (the night’s main entertainment) fails to arrive on time. It is here where the “after unfortunate events” hints are dropped, in the flustered bursts of 27 cat’s dead and 3^rd oldest Yew tree in Britain burnt to the ground. The five legends are told in relative detail, each cast member acting them out, almost if the legends are their own.  

Upon arrive Madame Isis fits the bill of an old, phoney clairvoyant that twists and steals words as they tumble out. With subtle innuendoes of “can anyone do a Roger?” and “I can do a Roger” to inciting full blown fear that sends poor Jean (the Health and Safety officer) scuttling out for dear life with a spear fashioned from the legend of the Silurian tribe.

Madame Isis’ mysterious vanishing act turns the tide as Jean returns on her motorised scooter bedecked in blood and a dog’s head, frightening poor Yvonne and Dave. One by one the madness descends as irrational impulses take over and each character turns into the legend they represented.

As the tale progressed the hilarity and absurdity is in stark contrast to Dion’s story, the little boy who lost his mother ten years earlier, to her own darkness. The balance between both narrative strands often wobbled precariously: the laughter ensuing from the depravity took over against the heart-breaking despair of grief and loss. I wanted more of the emotional catharsis.

Yet Dafydd James own description of Village Social as “[an investigation into the visceral relationships between the human and the animal and a return to animalistic behaviour]” is utterly spot on. Beneath the quietest or most respectable exterior will lurk the most curious of impulses and that sometimes it is necessary to let them loose. Just maybe not in public.......

For its slight imperfections The Village Social was still the wickedly funny return to the primitive that I expected it to be this autumn. It is great to see NTW returning to local Welsh venues as it did in Year 1.

Runs: 20^th October - 12^th November.

Volcano Theatre production of A Clockwork Orange

Volcano: A Clockwork Orange Taliesin Arts Centre
22^nd October 2011

Tucked away on Swansea High Street, Volcano Theatre’s cast are rehearsing for their approaching UK tour of A Clockwork Orange. Volcano have made their home in an intriguing empty space – initially for their 1977 original production Volcano are now resident there long term. The space is misleading as its small front room with scattered sofas and chairs opens on to a bigger, industrial space where artists and actors are able to take over, to rehearse and develop new pieces.

Between preparations two Young Critics catch them for a quick chat.  

The cast are a varied group, coming from a range of nationalities; ranging from a Scot in Mairi Phillips and a strong American accent in Billy Rayner. There also seems to be quite an age gap, between the innocent, fresh faces of Alex Moran and Kyle Edward-Hubbard to the more experienced world-wise cockney Paul Coldrick.

Our Chat with the Cast: 

First things first, what five words would you use to describe the show?

After much debate between themselves and some questionable hyphens, five words just couldn’t quite cover all the ideas covered in the show. The resulting eight words the cast decided upon were: Energetic, Full-on, Weird, Challenging, Beautiful, Funny and Spooky.

With the recent riots in London A Clockwork Orange appears to have more validity in today’s society, unlike the 50’s when Burgess’ believed that the Soviet Union would take over Britain and everything in between. Do you think the story holds even more relevance for today’s audience?

Of course and riots are mentioned but work actually started on the show well before the London riots so we don’t want the focus to be on that but the fact that this is a great adaptation of the book. The story is all about pushing boundaries, youth aggression, adult fear and the lack of police so there are definite parallels there. Anthony Burgess was certainly ahead of his time, he predicted that footballers would be paid ridiculous amounts and we would all use TVs, so there is definitely something to be taken from the text in today’s society.

Burgess invented a new language, Nadsat, that the teens in A Clockwork Orange speak. As it is a mix of English, Russian, Gypsy, Cockney rhyming slang and all sorts of other languages do you worry that the audience won’t understand you?

No, not at all, the Nadsat words carry a lot of weight and emotion so even though the exact meanings may not be understood, they still make sense in context. It’s quite similar to watching Shakespeare, at first the language can be difficult but you soon pick bits and pieces up and everything makes sense in its own way.

The role of Alex is split between each of you; please explain how that has worked?

Alex is the narrator of the story and so we have all become narrators. We are all different and have our own interpretation of the character so by sharing the role we can each bring something different to the stage. Alex is a complex mind and hopefully you get that through the way we have chosen to stage it. Also this suits Volcano’s ethic better, there is no hierarchy, no lead role, everyone is equal and everyone’s contribution counts.

Mairi; being the only woman in a play centred on ultraviolent, male behaviour do you think you had more of a challenge than the men?
It hasn’t really been an issue, most of the time gender isn’t even an issue, I’m just playing Alex. The only time I play a woman is as Alex’s mother, I’m not there to be a rape victim. I think it has been really challenging for all of us.

In the book, music is a very big part of Alex’s life, how has music influenced the production?

Actually the music is only just starting to come in. We wanted the scenes to have their own weight first, without having to rely on dramatic music. It’s there to add another dimension rather than overpower the scene.

Lastly, we asked Volcano what the inspiration was behind the picture of a young boy as the promotional material:

It shows a balance between innocence and aggression, both are looming at you from the picture. Although he is a young angelic looking boy there is a lot of action going on behind him. It’s open to a lot of different interpretations, perhaps it could be Alex as a young boy or maybe even Alex’s future child.

As a Theatre company Volcano are very much up for pushing boundaries and not holding back, for 25 years they have made extraordinary theatre, provoking and stimulating with strong yet unpredictable performances. With this in mind, A Clockwork Orange ought to be done justice as a performance. Keep reading to find out how these ideas translated onto the stage and what we thought of the performance.....

“What’s it going to be then, eh?”

Most would associate A Clockwork Orange as one of the most notorious narratives of the 20^th Century; yet few remember its life began as a novel by Anthony Burgess and not the Stanley Kubrick film of the 70’s. In the hands of theatre company Volcano, Burgess’ narrative is brought back to life and laid bare.

Alex, the dystopia’s main character is a misjudged, neglected 15 year old boy: “a creature incapable of moral choice”. He is the leader of a gang of ‘droogs’, as the Nadsat language calls them. Focusing on the book Volcano give Alex centre stage letting him narrate the story and giving voice to friends and victims alike. Each cast member plays Alex in turn and as a group, lending their multitude of accents to an instantly changeable fast paced piece. These differences allow Alex’s innocence and aggression to be displayed simultaneously, highlighting the confusion suffered by hormonal, misrepresented teenagers. Having such a varied cast brings out the diverse aggression projected onto Alex by the people in his life, even though their intentions are good. It intensifies the debate and moral message of whether it is better to choose to be evil than forced to be good. An argument brought to the surface by the cast in the stark difference between British and American attitudes towards criminals.

It is difficult to move away or play down the ultra-violence that Alex and cronies commit but expressive tap dance, umbrella’s and use of Barbie dolls in the rape scene the violence are far from shocking and responsibly represented. The use of repetition and sped up, expansive movements in the final act of violence adds a darkly comic moment to the absurdity of his drug fuelled adventures.

The set builds on the duality of Alex’s position. All black and square edges, it fades away when an array of television sets burst into colour, highlighting their content. Small, almost insignificant flashes of white appear heightened, a flicker of hope in a sea of evil. The cast, in their monochrome costumes climb over and gather around banks of stereo’s and black bookcase, their white shirts in stark contrast, adding to the duality. Another is during Alex’s experience of the Ludoviko effect: a projection screen replaces the TV’s – ultra violent images projected onto a pure white sheet.

Alex’s vulnerability is emphasized as the production nears its close – in his state of puppeteered goodness Alex gives up his clothes in the rain to help a girl and lands on his parents door fully naked and they reject him for who he was not who he could now become. It is in this state of puppetry that Alex attempts suicide – the Ludoviko effect forces him to associate the beauty, passion and musical clarity Beethoven with ultra-violence. What is life without Beethoven re reasons and jumps, only he is cured of the treatment given and now tiring, voluntarily turns away from his old life.

The last scene is left out of many American editions of the book and was left out of the 1970’s film, yet it is central to the moral and political message intended by Burgess, a man clearly ahead of his time.  Volcano have stayed true to the message and produced a clever, haunted and unforgettable performance.

“Am I to be nothing but a clockwork Orange?”

Pictures kindly provided by Volcano Theatre

The Prince's Pen & The White Trail. The newest edition of Seren Book's "Stories from the Mabinogion"

18th October 2011
Chapter Arts, Cardiff. 

2011 see’s Welsh publisher Seren Books celebrate their 30^th Birthday.  Originally Poetry Wales Press, the publishing house has witnessed major changes in Welsh cultural history and as original founder Cary Archard said – helped bring about changes in the way Welsh funding is dealt with. They are a small publisher with a strong Welsh voice.  With First Minister Carwyn Jones AM in attendance the event was lent the weight and conviction that the Arts in Wales still mattered and weren't being sidelined.
    As part of the celebrations, the newest instalments of the Mabinogion Series were launched at Chapter Arts;  Fflur Dafydd’s The White Trail and Horatio Clare’s The Princes Pen. The books join the current four by prominent Welsh authors. 

All images from Seren website.

 The Mabinogion is a collection of eleven stories originating from The Red book of Hergest and The White book of Rhydderch, two medieval manuscripts dating as far back as the 6^th Century. Folk tales that grant unparalleled access to Celtic mythology and magic, the stories give us one of the first tastes of Arthurian legend and a perspective of ancient Britain. With enchantment and shape-shifting, conflict and peacemaking, love and betrayal what we would call magic realism, sci-fi or even war novels would have been a reflection of everyday belief’s and experiences in Celtic Britain. Seren took up the challenge to bring the Mabinogion into the 21^st Century three years ago nearly at my count and each author is allowed to take their chosen myth and have creative authority to do as they will.

Originally attending the launch of the first four books a year ago - as part of the BayLit Festival in conjunction with Academi (now Literature Wales) I dashed along to meet the new authors and listen to what they had to say.

Horatio Clare is best known as a travel writer and journalist and The Prince’s Pen is his first published fiction. He takes the myth of Lludd and Llevelys, transforming it into an ultra modern mix of faith, culture and futuristic landscapes involving the bandit kings of Wales Ludo and Levello. In the discussion with Seren editor Penny Thomas, he calls the novella a “[clean, beautiful three pointed story]”, its neat construct of two dragons and two faiths – reminiscent of the myth of Merlin as a young boy and a parallel with today’s multi-faith society. When choosing the tale, Horatio spoke of  how the tale’s revelations of London’s origin struck a chord with his memories of Newport Station platform and its links with Llundain Paddington (London Paddington) waiting for family to arrive. Particularily as there is some truth to the tale’s myth: Ludgate hill,  Lludd is rumoured to be buried under St Pauls.

Fflur Dafydd is an established Welsh language writer and lecturer at Swansea University - she has also publishing in English with her novel Twenty Thousand Saints.  Fflur’s adaptation The White Trail is taken from the Mabinogion tale How Culhwch won Olwen. Fflur’s own experience of the Mabinogion is extensive, playing a big part in her childhood and experiencing it in school through translating the difficult old Welsh. She explained that whilst it was familiar territory, the opportunity to do something new with it and use her creativity was a chance not to be missed. To Fflur the myth and the novel are two very different creatures but both have other worldly, magical elements, she has taken two of the tale’s most under-used character’s Goleuddydd and Cilydd and built the story round them. Yet she has also included the ‘task’ (one of forty in the tale) involving Rhiannon’s birds – magical birds capable of waking the dead and lulling the living to sleep.  The original tale is one of the first tastes of Arthurian legend we have and in The White Trail his heroics are very much diminished and he loses much of the traditional knightly valour.

As editor Penny mentioned the novels have come from each author looking at the gaps and finding what was missed, the crack in the apparent seamlessness of the tales.

The rest of the series will be published over the next few years, hopefully two at a time. With signed copies of all six books in hand, keep watching for their up and coming reviews.

Review's of THE NRTF Conference Showcase's Continued

My sincerest apologies for the wait! Life does seem to annoyingly get in the way sometimes. For those of you who have read the previous post on the National Rural Touring Forum Conference, please continue reading as the rest of the showcase review's here at last. As for the rest of you, where have you been? ;)  

Showcase C:

Children’s Tales: the NRTF Conference Showcase C was dedicated to theatre designed for children & families.

Likely Story: Pea.
I unfortunately missed part of the day’s first act with Likely Story’s Pea, due to a little bit of confusion. Yet what I saw peeking through the theatre entrance was colourful, skilfully acted and imaginative. They appeared to have taken the original Princess and the Pea fairytale and given it that modern, imaginative twist.
http://www.likelystory.org.uk/

Theatre Iolo: Little Red Ruby Tales.
An adaptation of, well you guessed it, Red Riding Hood. Here, Ruby likes telling stories and on her travels she meets Ella the Snow Queen from Sleeping Beauty, and a Tiger.... but does she really? Ruby and the apparently unassuming Ella find an Egg in the forest and decide to wait for it to hatch, telling tales whilst waiting. A twist on the original tale, the play will certainly challenge and inspire the little minds it is aimed at. With fluid, dance like movement, it encourages play and fun.
http://www.theatreiolo.com/

Cwmni Theatre Arad Goch: 1 Step 2 Step.
A performance with a difference, the two character’s meet the audience outside of the performance space asking for help in searching for items: and on this occasion several people are given buckets of stones. An interactive simple piece designed specifically for children, they blend storytelling and simple language with traditional harp music. They are sure to entertain!
http://www.aradgoch.org/


Showcase D:

An afternoon of easy, light entertainment? Quite the opposite in fact as the talent and energy of theatre companies continued to flow.

Hijinx: Old Hands.
A quiet 1930’s seaside town is the setting for a failing little theatre and its demanding owner/director. Its newest entertainment is Miss Florrie Labelle and she has a secret to hide, her brother is socially unacceptable in 1930’s Britain and she has smuggled him into Skidbury-on-Sea as no one will look after him. The language is very aware of its time bringing out the opinions and difficulties within society then. A socially inclusive theatre company, Hijinx creates an innovative and challenging piece bringing awareness of people with learning difficulties. A piece I would have loved to see when it was on tour and eagerly await a continuation or new rendition if there is to be one.
http://www.hijinkx.org.uk/

Theatr N’Óg: Aesops Fables.
Colourful and energetic Theatr N’ Óg re-tell the tale of the hare and the tortoise with a difference, blending in another of Aesops fables - the old Lion and mouse tale - to create a new platform to entertain and teach. Their comic inclusion of references to Chekov’s Cherry Orchard and Colgate Minty Fresh make sure the adults in the audience had a giggle to. Fabulous costume’s that turned the Lion into the hare and catchy tunes with music from a saxophone certainly cemented the talent behind this theatre company.
http://www.theatre-nanog.co.uk/

Clwyd Theatre Cymru Theatre for Young People: Tall Tales.
Clwyd is another group using their marvellous 21st Century take on the oral story telling tradition mixed with theatre. Combining puppetry, costume, music, narration and traditional acting they told The Matchstick Girl and The Geese and the Frog folk tales with magic, drawing you in with perfectly haunting and upbeat melodies. From serenity and atmosphere in The Matchstick Girl to excitement and tension in The Geese and the Frog the company are a joy to watch and listen to.
http://www.ctctyp.co.uk/
 
Showcase E:

As the last showcase of the conference the two and a half hours was jam packed with a myriad of entertainment, making it a fit ending to a wonderful two days.

Siân James.
A small piece of true Welsh heaven graced the stage space for the first performance. Sian James is a harpist with a penchant for traditional folk songs, reviving and experimenting with songs that have gathered dust for decades, maybe even centuries. She creates modern twists and arrangements yet puts love and tradition behind songs, singing in both Welsh and English. She graced us with a brilliant rendition of Cyfri’r Geifr (Counting Goats) though some of us in Wales might just recognise the first line of “Oes gafr eto”. And then get it stuck in our heads, I was struggling not to start singing it and really embarrass myself.www.sianjames.co.uk

George Orange.
Rather unsuspectingly, George comes on dressed in a loose but ordinary looking grey suit, a clown you ask? Yes, just a one with a modern touch. He combine’s the comedy and self-depreciating wit of clowning with the tricky manoeuvres of a slack rope dancer. Be prepared for edge of your seat tension as you pray for him not to fall off his moon shaped moving ‘trapeze’ as he balances and reaches for objects. Audience involvement is high on the list, just watch he doesn’t make you carry him!


Tanya Davies
Alone on the stage, Tanya instantly exudes openness and sincerity. As a poet and musician she performs all her own, very original material without accompaniment off a band or partner. Her poem How to be alone was haunting tugged at your heart strings. Tanya is a performer that proves poetry doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom, poetry societies or drunken open-mic nights: that poetry can be enjoyed as a performance with a watching audience. Her film of How to be Alone can be found on her website or Youtube.
www.tanyadavies.ca

Philip Clouts Quartet
The Jazz quartet played all original music, inspired by a multitude of locations from Clouts coastal home in the South West to South African beats and Latin American vibes, yet lurking in the undertones is the traditional jazz, bluesy styles. A thoroughly enjoyable set to listen to.
www.philipcloutsquartet.co.uk

Cat Weatherill
A story teller for adults and for children, Cat uses every inch of her fantastic energy and style to entrance & entertain and tonight she sampled a story from her successful Ghost tour for adults. he storytelling blends music, theatricality and of course, the tradition of oral tales. A remarkable storyteller Cat will have you captivated from the first word. www.catweatherill.co.uk
Jamie Smith’s Mabon
Last but not least, the band graced the stage with vigour and imagination. An irresistible urge to let loose and join in comes over you as the music starts, music that is a self-styled mix of funk folk and their Celtic roots, drawing in beats from across the world. It isn’t often you see an accordion played in modern music, especially with such brilliant enthusiasm shining through. An unsurpassable end to the evening.
http://www.jamiesmithsmabon.com/


Thank you very much to Night Out for inviting us to attend, and to present The Young Critics to everyone. The diverse cross section of performers in the showcase's has been immeasurable and I am certainly going away with a new appreciation of folk music, something that had always been there but never explored. Thank you to the performers and delegates for sharing your talent, idea's and passion for the arts. 

For more information on rural touring: www.nightout.org.uk &  www.nrtf.org.uk

Chelsey's experience of the conference "22 review's in 100 words each" can be found at http://hypercriticreviews.blogspot.com/


And lastly for the Young Critics visit http://theyoungcritics.com/

The Night Out Scheme presents NRTF Conference. Reviews of their Showcase events!

Night Out, in conjunction with NRTF, hosted their annual conference for Rural Touring and as part of their Extending the Reach remit, kindly asked the Young Critics to attend and present our scheme to the delegates. The conference was an excellent experience and an eye opener, including presenting! This is just a small thank you.

Rural Touring, an unusual concept in the populous, industrial South Wales but it isn’t just about expanses of green fields it is about reaching out to smaller communities: giving village halls and community centre’s access to the arts, access that would normally be a huge expense often resulting in a loss. The fantastic Night Out scheme provides that all important financial cushion; so that the Promoter’s who work to bring acts to their neighbours, do not have to worry about that potential financial loss. Night Out is just the Welsh version supported but Arts Council Wales, there are other fantastic scheme’s that run across the UK funded by Arts Council England grants.

As part of the conference a series of 5 showcases occurred where artists and theatre companies presented their wares, their 15 minutes of Rural Touring fame almost as they worked hard to impress the audience before them. An amazing and versatile array of performances they each had their own way of hooking the audience in and entertaining.

Showcase A:
3D Theatre Company: When the Wind Blows.
The cold war is afoot and ordinary older people are swept up in the scare mongering propaganda, in extraordinary circumstances this husband and wife team also combat the generation gap where the son see’s the fatalism of the situation and scoffs at the ‘Governmental directive’. Comically entrancing, When the Wind Blows is perfect for rural venues with its fabulous set with miniature proportions that folds out from a particularly unassuming box.

Chris Tally Evans: Tales of First and Second Sight.
A one man show that mixes theatre with stand-up comedy and he tells the tales as the main character.

Rhodri Miles: Burton.
A one man show with a difference: Miles’ strong voice personifies Burton, delving into the man behind the films, using quotes from Shakespeare to add a certain depth yet it simply adds to the intensity already portrayed in this misunderstood actor. Pouring drinks often from his little silver drinks trolley he uses the full expanse of stage, sitting and standing as if in a world of his own. Expressive and intriguing, Burton is definitely one to see.



Showcase B:
Mai Oh Mai Productions: The Harri-Parris – The Leaving Do.
A truly comic insight into West Walian ‘normality’: one family member is leaving for London to find adventure and they spend the time fondly reminiscing over nights out that were truly awful. Done almost in the musical form they entertain using modern rap and traditional show music their use of stereotypes does nothing to detract from the piece. The occasional phrase in Welsh is quite happily translated by the ‘European’: a Slovakian farmhand with his funny behaviour.

Gareth Bonello: The Gentle Good & Harriet Earis.
The Showcase’s are not just about theatre and these two musicians kick off the tunes. Together they combined the traditions of the harp with the more modern guitar in a modern take on folk music with original compositions: creating haunting melodies that blended past and present. As the first time I had heard a harp outside of a traditional setting, and her energetic playing brought a new dimension to the instrument. Alone or as a pair I am sure the audience will be spellbound by their playing.

Paul Granjon: Hand Made Machines.
Possibly the more unusual and off the wall of the showcase presentations Paul Granjon came on with a varied set of contraptions, from an electronic wagging tale and movable ears to a humanoid robot that disco dances. Definitely one for the modern teenager, or even your inner teenager: utterly fascinated by the weird and wonderful. Combining satirical singing (he clearly knows he can’t really sing) with music from his electric Zitar and done in French and English to add more flavour again. If I am honest I didn’t appreciate the act at the start, it felt clunky and slow to get going: although the ‘technical glitches’ were very comedy of errors and as it got going in the middle I did start to enjoy it far more.

Devil’s Violin: A love Like Salt.
Possibly the best act of the night: the passion and power behind the performance was exceptional. Combining music and the spoken word they bring the traditional oral tale into the 21st Century and still use traditional tales. A tale I’ve not heard since being sat on my Gram’s lap, A Love Like Salt entranced and caused a welling of nostalgia and I would have sat there for far more. Phenomenal!

The Stu Brow Sextet presents Twisted Toons: The Music of Raymond Scott.
I had never heard of Raymond Scott until that moment but the tunes were completely familiar. Used in Looney Tunes, Ren & Stimpy and The Simpsons the music has entertained generations of children and adults. Here those tunes are performed with vigour and skill, the sextet playing to perfection as a band and as individuals in their solos.

Ginge & Celloboi:
Upbeat music performed through a multitude of genres: Bluegrass, Country and Gospel. They blend Jonny Cash tunes with original Welsh language compositions that would suit anyone and everyone. An entertaining duo!

Due to the fantastically impossible amount of theatre, music and entertainment on show, 15 minute segments or not. The further three Showcases that were organised for our entertainment will be in the post to follow



Empty Pocket's Hello Mrs Silverstone & A Sunday Roast

Last Saturday saw the up and coming new theatre company Empty Pocket, stage their freshest creative imaginings: two one act plays that use and explore the absence of a significant or main character.


Hello Mrs Silverstone by Natalie Stone & Sunday Roast by Anna Pool


First up was Hello Mrs Silverstone opening on an ordinary family’s life that quickly descends into the comic and the tragic through the simplest of mistakes, a wrong phone number. Mrs Silverstone is a confused, lonely old lady who thinks the phone number to the Parker household is her own son’s phone number. Mrs Parker and daughter Olivia react with annoyance at the constant interruption to their lives, yet when Olivia picks up the phone pretending to be pizza takeaways she lands herself in embarrassing hot water as ‘Ben’ the boy from school has managed to get between the constant calls. Late in the play Olivia’s King Lear speech is perfectly chosen and timed with John Parker’s conversation with Mrs Silverstone for her to direct comic and acidic inflections at her father trying to talk.


It is John’s developing relationship with Mrs Silverstone and the appearance of his brother Will that engages the tragic element. They have recently lost their own mother and John’s pre-occupation with not having been there to stop his mother falling causes arguments with Will. As the relationship with Mrs Silverstone and the plot between Will and John develops, the absent Mrs Silverstone seems to take on another persona: as if she becomes the already absent mother. The play comes to a close with John Parker pretending to be John Silverstone and both characters, seen and unseen, getting what they want, to hear from family one last time and to say goodbye.


A Sunday Roast was up next, and a very different play to the first in its staging: here the abstract took precedence with elements of dance. The entire cast remained on stage for almost all the show, creating moments of physical dystopia with the table settings and repeating phrases to hammer home and almost to mirror the dystopia experienced in Adelaide’s head and that of the forced, false undercurrents in her relationships. Adelaide interacts with two missing characters – her absent best friend Catrin and the missing therapist. Every Sunday Adelaide must sit through Sunday dinner with her in-laws whilst going through the motions of her every day, dreary and disappointing life. Outside of the forced, formal exchanges around the dinner table there is a second Adelaide, the more honest person who lives in her dreams, wants and wishes. We recognise quickly that a miscarriage is the reason for the therapist’s presence but it is not just the miscarriage that Adelaide has to come to terms with: the loss of her dreams in staying put after Uni and the loss of her friend Cat. The audience seemed to play the part of the therapist, drawing them in to experience Adelaide’s emotions with her. Her death at the end and the revelation that Cat had been dead all along, added to the depth of understanding and empathy with the character. Two very different plays that used similar themes of regret, memory, dreams and the ordinary life, looking at what ordinary events can significantly alter ordinary lives for better and for worse.


Not one to give out stars (never have been much for rating), both plays were effective and emotionally charged: using the powerful acting, comedy, language and passion to their fullest capacities. Well done to the Empty Pocket gang you did brilliantly and good luck!

Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev

Berwyn Centre

Sea Legs Puppet Theatre & Night Out

On a sunny, holiday afternoon in the Bridgend valleys most of us, adults and children alike, would be outside playing and pottering about or off on day trips, forgetting that we only have to look to our doorstep to places like the Berwyn Centre in Nant-y-moel for entertainment.  Yet, wonderfully, on this particular sunny afternoon an eager crowd of voices sat waiting for a puppet performance of Peter and the Wolf by Sea Legs Puppet Theatre in conjunction with Night Out.

The Story Teller (Rob Ashman) set out an integrated one man performance with puppetry, adapting the story to include his ‘Story Teller’ character which enables him to interact with the audience as well as tell the story via puppets. Here Old man Prokofiev invites Rob to Russia in order to tell him a story, here Rob proceeds to take his trip with suitcase and all – his puppet stage cleverly disguised as the suitcase. All the traditional characters are there, as beautifully crafted puppets and represented by varying accents and tone of voice: Peter, Redbird, Duck, Cat, the two lumbering hunters and lastly that big scary Wolf with its frightening yellow eyes. The puppets and set steal some of the thunder, lovingly crafted with bright colours and intricate pieces – the screen behind painted to depict the Story Tellers home and the Russian continent.

The piece was filled with all the tension and drama that it should have as an oral tale, yet it was filled with humour suitable for all ages. The mix of humour and drama kept everyone engrossed and willing to interact with Rob and his characters, from shouting at the cat to answering Rob’s inquisitive questions. As the tale goes brave little Peter cleverly over comes the wolf with team work and ingenuity having disobeyed his grandfathers express order to not play in the meadow.

Night Out is a community scheme for Wales that brings touring entertainment to the smallest of village halls and community centres providing a cheaper, local alternative that is sure to entertain.

There was an opportunity for the children to go meet the Puppets at the end

For more information on future Sea Legs Puppet Theatre performances visit their website here Information on Night Out events or getting involved can be found here  

27th April

Walking Exploits production of Serious Money

Serious Money
Chapter Arts 27th April - 1st May
Aberystwyth Arts Centre 5th May

Serious  Money Trailer http://www.wakingexploits.co.uk/content/serious-money.html

Thatcher’s in power, and the City is heading toward financial meltdown.
Caryl Churchill’s satirical play Serious Money was brought to Chapter Arts by theatre company Walking Exploits, as their first production and they brought the house down. Intriguing, dynamic and intense action fills the theatre as you take your seats and continues throughout.


Serious Money is a play as apt now as it was in the late 80’s: the environment of suspicion surrounding the banks, stockbrokers and traders as a result of their current fall from grace. Nestled amongst the upper echelons of the American and London financial worlds with alcohol and drugs on speed dial, greed is the driving force. It is a serious comedy of insider trading, scandal and apparent suicide where the world of the characters slowly collapses around them as they trade to within an inch of their lives, and their money. Dealer Jake Todd is found dead in an apparent suicide as a result of ‘insider dealing’ but his sister Scilla suspects otherwise and begins to investigate, as the puzzle pieces appear his crimes become apparent and it is his ill gotten millions she turns to searching for. Alongside the hunt for the dead trader’s millions is a second voracious hunt for power and money in the acquisition of innocent little Albion by Billy Corman and his double crossing investors, a bid in which Jake Todd was involved, as more and more floods to the surface and as Albion at its White Knight fight back moral vanishes and the bid fails spectacularly.


With 20 characters shared between 8 actors the show is nothing short of complex yet with swift simple costume changes the actors melted from one character to another – their accents transforming fluidly. The stage is full of chaos: phones ringing, character’s having two or three conversations at once: gesturing, swearing and shouting across the stage as they fight to make more and more money. There was a regular stream of food being eaten, alcohol and coffee consumed as the characters, adding an immediacy and realism to the activities.


Whilst I did not understand the purpose of the grass floor it did add colour and having a bare stage floor would have taken something from the production. At times the pace picks up so quickly that it is hard to focus on a single exchange and the streams of numbers and statistics flying past were confusing but all as part of the play to represent the financial world. Even though I did not understand the trading language I didn’t really care: the lyrical language, fast pace and satirical barbs kept me utterly engrossed and laughing. Particularly the endings of both acts: where trading sessions transform into intense, in your face rapping sessions, creating a platform in which to close the high energy piece on a high.
"These are the days of our lives"


Walking Exploits and their director Mathilde López re-create the balance between comedy and dark poetry at the centre of Serious Money in this hilarious, modernised version: it leaves the audience catching their breath at the end. They have done well in bringing a relevant, contemporary work to the stage and pulling it off with panache, especially as this is the first time Serious Money has been seen on a Welsh stage.

Michael Sheen's 'The Passion'

Image by Dave McKean

There was something different to walking along Aberavon Promenade on Good Friday afternoon; an electric atmosphere was building as hundreds of people headed to the furthest end of the promenade. It was to be the first of a weekend of events as part of The Passion, a play of enormous proportions. 

The Trial (Sunday)

Conducted over 72 hours The Passion started and ended on the beach but events took place across the town, from the scheduled events to ‘ad hoc’ scenes and musician’s that seemed sneakily placed to enhance to the atmosphere and get people talking. Talking, that’s what it’s all about, none of this was about theatre for theatre’s sake; it was about a community, a people and a place and bringing them together to step into the future. Port Talbot really has been ignored and belittled by so many – I rarely stop to take it in, always driving past for Swansea or further west and I should know better: my own home town often suffers the same style ridicule.  Listen carefully across the three days and you could hear neighbours talking as if they’d never spoken two words before and towns people who a second ago had been complete strangers.



Inside the Shopping Centre 'Memories of Port Talbot'

For all the fantastic community spirit and galvanised atmosphere I can only praise all those involved. Tackling such a huge project head on is a fabulous feat in itself but there were moments lacking certain clarity, noticeably more on the Saturday afternoon where what seemed the non-organisation of the three simultaneous events caused considerable confusion, people were unsure where to go or what to do. Throughout the Saturday I was disappointed: The Passion although advertised and intended as an open event - where you didn’t really need tickets and everyone could go and see – you couldn’t always see, for instance on Llewellyn Street it was primarily performed on the flat those at the back and some even with the ‘wristbands’ were at the back missing the bulk of the action. 

Having missed the Friday and Saturday evening events I feel that I can’t give an all round picture but one thing I do not regret is getting my hands on the novella’s created by the scripts writer Owen Sheer’s. Reading those whilst waiting on Sunday cleared up much of the confusion and provided a greater sense of involvement.

Throughout it was Sheen’s mysterious and often silent presence as ‘The Teacher’ that has enticed, encouraged and carried the production with ‘The Teacher’ listening rather than teaching it made it more about the town healing itself instead of it being healed. As if the town remembers its past, as The Teacher remembers his past and they heal together.

The Passion is the final feather in the NTW cap for their first year of productions and they have done what it says on the tin: creating community centred, often very ‘Welsh’ piece’s to draw together personal, unique stories against the backdrop of a larger concept.  They have ended the year with their biggest project yet; a production that at once frustrated, tugged at the heartstrings and tenderly reached out to everyone, hopefully leaving the Port Talbot community looking eagerly at an ostensibly brighter future. Following it as a Young Critic has been one heck of a journey so far and I am curious as to what rabbit NTW will pull out of the hat next!