Lizzie Caitlin Bennett, Siwan Morris and Bethan McLean in A Visit at YMa, Pontypridd. Photo: Kirsten McTernan

Papertrail’s tale of crime, justice and childcare has been in R&D since 2021, reflecting exactly how important it has been to the company to portray this important story with empathy, realism and impact. Sian Owen’s text is based on real life stories of women and young people; the tale of what happens when a mother is imprisoned, what happens to the child left behind and the life ‘outside’ for those who are left picking up the pieces. Knowing that the text was, in some cases, verbatim for what the team had been told, really made every single line hit home that little bit harder.

This is my first visit to the YMa in Pontypridd and the space is utilised to great effect by Designer Lucy Hall. The stage is filled with chairs that are on the same level as each of the levels of the raked seating opposite. The grey chairs are interspersed with numbered, red chairs; the places where the inmates sit whilst their families visit them. The set is confronting, there is nowhere for the characters to hide as they deliver their monologues; there, on display for every audience member to see, especially given the levels are equal to our seating levels. The movement around the set is purposely awkward and difficult, with Carys and Angharad having to look over their shoulders to address Ffi or move closer towards her, around numerous chairs which are stagnant and imposing. This is purposely done to show us the difficulties of breaching topics, the distance between the sisters and the daughter, echoed by the distance between them on the maps projected behind them.

Sound is a fantastic addition, ably designed by Josh Bowles. The music is an aide to the action rather than distracting or detracting. When the sisters argue, there is a tapping noise which rises in volume and frequency until its almost unbearable. At first, I wondered where the noise was coming from, it’s so subtle and barely there, but, as the argument increased in its fury, so did the tapping. It makes you uncomfortable, it makes you feel tense, it makes you feel exactly like Angharad must feel as the two most important women in her life argue around her.

The accessibility of the piece is exceptional, some of the best, most integrated work I’ve seen. The BSL interpreters are performers in their own right; prison officers who perform alongside the actors. A concept by Director, Bridget Keehan, the interpreters Claire Anderson and Cathryn McShane move alongside their respective characters, standing as they stand, moving as they move and not just interpreting, but performing the piece alongside their counterparts. It’s accessibility at its very best, it becomes seamlessly part of the action, meaning that deaf and hard of hearing audience members do not have to split their attention between the action and interpreter who would usually be stood to the side of the stage. Claire and Cathryn are excellent; the actors talk over one another in arguments, and they can do that too, performing in BSL alongside their respective characters.

 Siwan Morris excels as Ffi; the tears and anguish are evident as she lives these real-life accounts of parents who have become a part of the system, ripped from their families and left in turmoil, their lives suspended on the outside. Siwan delivers this turbulent character with ease, turning from pleading to anger, from tears to shouting. Bethan Mclean and Lizzie Caitlin Bennett are excellent, presenting a united front in their desires initially and then fracturing as the story reaches its climax. Bethan perfectly captures the fear that Carys feels that she is not enough and cannot do enough for her niece Angharad, longing for her escape into the skies and across the oceans as Cabin Crew for EasyJet. Lizzie is heart-breaking as Angharad, pleading with these matriarchs in her life to break the inevitable ‘Newton’s Cradle’ of their lives. As a trio of performers, they clearly feed off one another’s energy and are perfectly cast as their respective roles.

‘A Visit’ has clearly been a labour of love and care for all involved, but particularly Sian, the Writer, and Bridget, the Director. Their work alongside Clean Break and the Prison services means that the piece is poignant without being condescending, truthful and respectful of those lived experiences without detracting. It’s a play made up of so many working parts that really come together to create a hard hitting, relevant piece for our time, excellently delivered by a talented cast and production team.