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!