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Theatre

Theatr Clwyd – One gap year later…

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Richard Evans talks to Liam Evans-Ford and Kate Wasserberg at Theatr Clwyd, now in the middle of the theatre’s 50th anniversary year following a full year out for a £50million refurbishment.

Reproduced here with kind permission of Theatre Reviews North

Regular theatre-going can be habitual, so there is a potential problem for theatres obliged to alter their familiar plans. Disrupt audience routines and you take the risk of seeing regular theatre visits become occasional visits, with falling audience numbers the potential result.

On the other hand, there is the chance that you will create a general longing for what is being missed – and by all accounts Theatr Clwyd definitely falls into that latter category. 

Not long after Covid, the theatre embarked on a huge, £50 million renovation project to revive the crumbling building. Apart from its pantomime, the theatre closed its doors for an entire year, reopening partially in June 2025 and fully that October, ready for the theatre’s 50th anniversary this year. How would the closure disrupt the venue’s operations and followers?

At the centre of the work were Liam Evans-Ford and Kate Wasserberg: the former the theatre’s executive director since 2016 and instigator of the renovation, alongside previous artistic director Tamara Harvey (now at the RSC); the latter the theatre’s current artistic director, appointed in 2024. 

It must have been a little unusual, starting a new post at a theatre doing fewer productions than usual: “It was a slightly chaotic time,” admitted Kate, “but it gave me something most new artistic directors don’t get – the luxury of time to plan. It was also like coming home, as I fell in love with this place when I first joined the theatre in 2008.”

Fears of an audience dip proved unfounded: this anniversary year has so far been a genuine success, with 150,000 people through the doors – matching pre-refurb levels in less than a full year. The theatre has also counted 25,000 covers for the new Bryn Williams restaurant – a substantial improvement on the small, limited cafe that preceded it. The restaurant at last offers the full dining-and-theatre night out, as well as offering an income stream independent of theatregoing, helping to re-establish and build stronger links with the community.

The raw figures don’t do justice to the reach of the work. The theatre now has a core company of 200 people – a substantial increase on 2016, with a strong “team” ethic and a collection of talented individuals engaged in a wide variety of activities. 

“In truth the theatre kept more than a tickover pace during Covid and the refit,” explained Liam. “We used temporary venues and the marquee to keep the theatre working, while community group users of the building met elsewhere in town. 

“But since reopening, the work has blossomed. It’s been a great experience to see people filling the building again, and a reminder that we now have one of the largest, best-equipped theatres in the country. Spaces that we planned, fretted-over, gutted, then saw return to full life, now have people milling around them, making the space their own and enjoying it.” 

There have been teething problems, as might be expected with such a large project – including a major flood that had people in wellies and pyjamas baling water from the building. But even these were considered mere blips along the way.

“It was an excellent illustration of the strong team spirit here,” Kate said. “Many came late at night to help with the flooding, and stayed to make sure the place was cleaned up.”

Liam is proud of the fact that the public consultation held before and during the refurbishment gained responses from more than 8,000 people – meaning the new building isn’t a dry bricks-and-mortar exercise conducted in an architect’s office and the boardroom, but the expression of a mass of people – some professional, but most just keen to have their say. 

The result is a familiar but imaginative space that promotes theatre in its widest sense. Theatr Clwyd now has more diversity, even though the function room, the children’s play area and the wellbeing garden have still to be completed; there is an increase in casual visitors, and the community groups have returned; everything from amateur theatre for all ages to groups working with young people at risk and families in areas of high social deprivation, early-onset memory loss and even the menopausal now call Theatr Clwyd home. The theatre also holds storytelling experiences in local libraries and has taken responsibility for delivering music lessons to Flintshire schoolchildren; Theatre Clwyd is much more than a stage, it’s a community hub.

Having said that, an ambitious, forward-thinking programme is at the heart of the theatre. The building reopened with Tick Tick… Boom! and went from that slick, modern American musical to The Red Rogue of Bala – a decidedly local tale of a Robin Hood-like outlaw, as well as productions such as Our Town, Under Milk Wood and Twelfth Night – universal stories, but with a local, human feel. And there was also, of course, the pantomime centrepiece, bigger than ever…

When asked about the key things she wanted to see, Kate was clear; “I want to promote the wealth of talent we have in Welsh theatre, and lead with new Welsh work, while continuing to offer huge variety,” she declared. 

“I also want us to be representative of the entire community, even those currently marginalised in society. That was one reason behind our distinctive LGBTQ take on Twelfth Night, and the prominence given to deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in Under Milk Wood. It‘s important for people to see themselves represented on stage. It also helps to start conversations that cause people to consider their values and those of the people around them”. If this approach proves successful, it moves theatre into the education field, as well as that of entertainment.

The presence of two renamed stages: the main auditorium, Theatr Moondance and the smaller, more intimate Theatr Weston allows for highly popular productions and also smaller, niche presentations not chosen for their profit potential. The smaller theatre has a full-sized stage and adaptable seating, permitting theatre in the round or an apron stage, and its intimacy brings an immediacy that is hard to capture in a big theatre. Most recently, Theatr Weston hosted Atlantis, a new play by Welsh writer Emily White, that picked up on the experience of Fairbourne in West Wales, where a decision was made to stop reinforcing sea defences and allow the global warming-induced rising sea levels to overwhelm the town from 2052. Not a play expected to draw big crowds, but a distinctive, thoughtful addition to the Theatr Clwyd programme. 

Liam is grateful for the Arts Council Wales funding that makes such productions possible: “There’s a two-fold benefit,” he explained. “The theatre can promote less popular, more thoughtful productions – where performance is more important than profit; and it allows ticket prices to be kept lower.” 

Some price rises are inevitable, given current political and economic pressures, but Theatr Clwyd’s regular theatregoers can still buy a ticket for less than £20, with further discounts on season tickets. 

“That makes us more accessible to nearly every section of the local community,” he said. “It allows people to choose a more unusual show, one not to their usual taste. We hear all the time from people who say they went to something they wouldn’t normally go to, and thoroughly enjoyed it.”

At a time when some theatres are struggling, Theatre Clwyd has had a highly successful year with a lot to be happy about, but of course that need not have been the case. Big-name, big-budget productions in London are often very successful, but the number of West End productions touring is falling, and some regional theatres face hard times. Many theatres, especially subsidised regional ones, must work ever-harder to build their audience, which means taking an active role in the local community. This is where Theatr Clwyd scores: two highly impressive aspects of its work are its distinctive programming and its commitment to the local community, the latter supported by local authority funding.

Having opened in 1976, the presence of the principality’s major producing theatre in a market town of only 10,000 people has made a significant contribution to the local economy, and is one of the factors that makes Mold a thriving town when others nearby have suffered the closure of vital amenities. 

Despite facing challenging circumstances, there is an optimistic, ambitious vision driving the management, one that intends to maintain the legacy of 50 years of well-loved, distinctive theatre and strives to become one of the arts world’s best employers.

“The last 10 years have been a bit of a roller coaster, to say the least,” said Liam. “The realisation that the theatre as it stood was unsustainable, then Covid, then moving the theatre to temporary accommodation, closing the building, then a reopening; it wasn’t the easiest of rides!”

“But the place is alive again,” said Kate. “We did our best to keep people coming to theatre activities during the closure, so the hiatus was less of a blow. Now there is a revitalised theatre, inhabited by a group of people who couldn’t wait to return to make it thrive again, visited by audiences who have returned to make Theatr Clwyd something of a cultural home from home. 

“We have every intention of keeping that feeling going for another 50 years.”

More info here

Musical, Theatre

Review: Mean Girls, Venue Cymru, Llandudno by Richard Evans

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Jeff Richmond (music), Tina Fey (book), Nell Benjamin (lyrics), Mean Girls UK Tour Ltd and others

Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Mon 20 – Sat 25 July 2026

out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

Mean Girls must rank in many peoples favourite high school romance movies, but why is it so appealing?  Of course this genre would not appeal to everyone, it was notable that the audience must have been over 80% female, but there is enough in this stage adaptation to make it a worthwhile watch for anyone.  

It is Tina Fey’s storyline that holds your attention.  A girl, Cady Heron who has been homeschooled in Kenya, starts high school in Illinois.  After suffering a culture shock, she is befriended by the most exclusive group of friends who take her on out of curiosity.  Slowly, with the help of a couple of so called social outcasts, she ‘dethrones’ the ‘Queen Bee’, Regina, and takes her place and adopts a lot of Regina’s nasty, cruel behaviours as she learns how to handle being popular so suddenly.  Naturally Cady has to face her critics, learn her lessons and all are reconciled in the end.  While this plot does not seem out of the ordinary, it is the acute observation, clever rejoinders and satirical humour that makes the story memorable. 

The cast approach this play with energy, enthusiasm and tight control.  The characterisation follows the 2004 movie which could pose difficulties, especially for Emily Lane as Cady having to follow on from Hollywood star, Lindsay Lohan.  To her credit, she is convincing in making the character her own.  The same could be said of the Mean Girls, Vivian Panka as Regina, Kara Dario as Gretchen and Sophie Pourret as Karen.  However, some of the supporting parts are also excellent, Max Gill and Georgie Buckland have great chemistry as Damian and Janis.  The teachers, Joshua Elmore as Mr Duvall and Faye Tozer as Ms Norbury portray the illusion that they are in control.  The choreography is excellent, fast moving, coordinated and varied.  There is imagination in set design, and fast transitions between scenes.  

The story has enduring appeal as it depicts quite accurately the dynamics of teenage friendship.  Girls in particular but not exclusively have been known to weaponise their friendship, using it to exclude those who want to belong, manipulating others to impose their will and then criticising even their best friends to make themselves look better.  There are no heroes or villains here, just individuals finding their identity, becoming themselves and wanting to belong to a community. Many can identify with these factors.  Even some parents could smile knowingly at the duplicitous Cady who engineers an opportunity to be on their own in the house of a weekend so they can stage a party which then got out of hand.  

There is a strong and welcome exercise in honesty and forgiveness near the end which promotes the fairly obvious idea that friendship is far more important than looking good.  The finale is great, with plenty of energy and opportunities for the cast to showcase their character.  This was met with a rousing reception and sealed the feel good ending well.  By the way, it was not Wednesday so I did not wear pink.

Musical, Theatre

Review: The Bodyguard, Venue Cymru, Llandudno, by Richard Evans

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The Bodyguard (Tour) Limited

Venue Cymru, Llandudno, June 1 – 6, also Millennium Centre, Cardiff, 20 – 25 July 2026

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Is this a concert or a play?  Of course there is a storyline to the production, but the musical is famous for using some of Whitney Houston’s best power ballads.  When they move the surrounding scenery and actors to make way for the song to become a showstopper, we know that the emphasis is very firmly on the song rather than the action.  

The Bodyguard tells the story of a superstar, Rachel Marron, who is subjected to the attentions of a stalker.  After he leaves death threats in her dressing room, Rachel’s management team employ a bodyguard, Frank, the best in the business to protect her and her 10 year old son, Fletcher.  Rachel resents the bodyguards precautions until he protects her from an over animated crowd.  Their mutual attraction grows and the play becomes a question of whether he is able to protect her and whether they will end up together despite the fact that Rachel’s sister Nicki also really likes Frank.

The play is based on the 1992 film of the same name where Whitney Houston plays Rachel alongside Kevin Costner as Frank.  Therefore playing Rachel is a difficult prospect, but Sidonie Smith does this well.  Several of her renditions will live long in the memory and hearing her sing ‘I will always love you’ was well worth waiting for.  Adam Garcia is suitably authoritative and they are ably supported by Sasha Monique as Nicki especially when she duets with Rachel singing ‘Run to you’.  At times, Phoenix Beharry stole the show as Fletcher. 

Being a vehicle for Houston’s songs, the play needs a bit of pizazz and this is provided with some stunning choreography, slick scene changes, bright lights, loud music and a few special effects making for a hugely entertaining evening.  However, the storyline at times is weak.  Frank is said to be the best in the business, but compromises his integrity by entering into a relationship with Rachel.  Then, so many things happened to the people he was employed to protect, one wondered what he had to do to get the sack.

This however, was a more incidental part of the evening.  We wanted to hear those songs that made Whitney Houston famous.  This is illustrated by the finale, where Rachel starts off in jeans and a jacket and ending in a sparkly dress and lifted several feet above the stage.  A quite spectacular number.  This the audience loved, and rewarded the cast with a standing ovation.    

Theatre

Review: Fawlty Towers the Play, Venue Cymru, Llandudno, by Richard Evans

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Fawlty Towers Tour Ltd

Venue Cymru, Llandudno, May 5th-9th, also Cardiff, June 23-27

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and this is what Fawlty Towers The Play sets out to do.  Take one of the most loved sitcoms from the 1970’s and reproduce it for the stage.  Adapted by John Cleese, star of the original series, and using material written by him and Connie Booth, exerts from several of the original twelve episodes were recreated in a two act play.   

There is no overall theme to the plot which suits the chaotic nature of the management of this hotel, Fawlty Towers or Flowery Twats as it was in the second half.  Rather, different characters and situations arise for Basil Fawlty to exhibit his outlandish behaviour.  The idea for the comedy arose from the fact that Cleese had to stay in a particular hotel in Torquay where the proprietor behaved extremely eccentrically and quite rudely, giving him and Booth plenty of ammunition for the two series.  The show is full of awkward moments, cringeworthy one liners and slapstick humour.  The lovely thing is that you know things are going to go wrong, but that sense of anticipation makes a gag worth the wait.

To mimic the original without the stars from the series entails considerable effort to adopt a highly recognisable persona.  The cast do this well, with Danny Bayne as Basil standing out.  His mannerisms, intonation and actions were a mirror of Cleese in his pomp even though there were times when his words could not be heard.  Likewise Mia Austen as Sybil did an excellent impersonation.  Hemi Yeroham captured the hapless, bumbling Manuel and the audience were often waiting for his well loved phrases.  Paul Nicholas also stood out as the Major, deaf, forgetful yet wonderfully willing and jovial.  

Some of the comedy looks dated now, being over 50 years old.  One wonders if the most iconic, memorable sketch, The Germans, would get past the censors in our more politically correct world today, but that would risk losing some comic genius, an episode that ranks among many peoples favourite of all time in.  It looked strange to see Sybil lighting a cigarette. In 1975, over half the adult population smoked, now that figure is less than 12%.  An advertising ban and no product placement has played its part in that.

Should the play have created new material?  It is definitely a trip down memory lane.  So many of the audience loved seeing these sketches played out and warmed to the cast as they threw out some well known lines.  People have bemoaned the fact that there were only ever 12 episodes created but in this instance, less is more.  Too many sitcoms carry on long past their sell by date.  This, when first produced was one of the finest comedies around, so the temptation to tamper with the stage show and add new material was resisted and in changing the format from TV to live action, opens it up to a new audience.

Musical, Theatre

Review: Operation Mincemeat, Storyhouse, Chester by Richard Evans

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Avalon production company in association with SpitLip

Storyhouse, Chester, May 4-9, 2026

out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

What a story!  The real life events of Operation Mincemeat are nothing short of remarkable, a MI5 plan in 1943 to divert Nazi forces from Sicily to Sardinia to enable an Allied invasion of Sicily to take place with little opposition.  90,000 soldiers were moved on the strength of phoney intelligence found in a briefcase of a downed RAF pilot who was ‘planted’ off the coast of Spain.  However, would this translate to the stage, especially in the form of a musical?  On the strength of the standing ovation, it certainly does.  

The musical follows the events of Operation Mincemeat closely, MI5 agents vie for proposing a plan to fool the Nazi defences, an outlandish plan is accepted and then enacted.  A local coroner alerted MI5 to a homeless man who had recently passed away whose body could be used to construct a false identity.  A considerable backstory was invented for this phantom pilot including love letters and realistic documentation.  The body is let go from a submarine in the Mediterranean and when it is washed up onshore, an autopsy is carried out and arrangements were made for the briefcase to fall into the hands of the Nazis.   

The cast of five all take multiple roles in a fast moving production and work together excellently as a team.  It was hard to pick out a stand out performer but Christian Andrews excelled as Hester Leggatt and others, a soft spoken more elderly secretary.  Georgina Hagen as Ewen Montagu was brash and bullish, full of pluck.  Sean Carey was a wonderfully bumbling Charles Cholmondeley who came up with the outrageous plan yet was too shy to promote it.  Jamie-Rose Monk was forthright as Johnny Bevan, the overseer of the project and Katy Ellis was assured as the put upon Jean Leslie, a talented spy but who was often overlooked because she was a woman. 

The set was very clever, illustrating an operations room for the most part but then by the use of strategic lighting transformed at one point into a plane.  The choreography was slick and helped hold your attention and while the band was a small four piece unit, gave the feel of a wartime vibe.  

There were issues raised by the production.  The identity of the phoney pilot at times was dismissed as unimportant, a homeless man is a nobody apparently.  However, measures were taken to find his identity and make sure that there was no surviving family who may be looking for him.  Eventually his identity was recognised and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission added his name to go with the false identity of the pilot on the memorial in Spain.  Montagu at one point was suspected of being a Soviet spy, passing documents to his brother who was a communist.  This turned out to be a screenplay, but the prospect kept the plot boiling with intrigue.

It is hard to do justice in describing this musical.  Despite being a complex story, it works wonderfully well and became a dazzling production, picking up on public school attitudes amongst the officers and communicating the story really well.  It deserves to become a must see production for anyone with an interest in theatre, musicals or the history of world war 2.  

Theatre

Review: 2:22 A Ghost Story, Venue Cymru, Llandudno, by Richard Evans

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Runaway Entertainment, written by Danny Robins, directed by Matthew Dunster & Gabriel Vega Weissman

Venue Cymru, Llandudno, April 27 – May 2 and on tour nationwide

out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5)

2:22, a ghost story or a debate over whether the supernatural is an actual phenomenon?  The premise behind 2:22 a Ghost Story is rich with potential,  a couple with a new baby move into their intended forever home yet while one partner is away, things start to go bump in the night.  On his return, they invite a good friend and her new boyfriend in for dinner and ask them to investigate the sounds which seem to occur at 2:22 in the morning.  Cue the shrieks, flashing lights and blackout.  

The cast do a great job in telling this story, each character has a well defined persona revealing multiple layers as the play develops.  James Bye plays the arch sceptic, Sam, who seeks a scientific explanation behind every event, natural or supposedly supernatural, Shvorne Marks plays the angst filled mother, Jenny, who has a faith based upbringing making her open to the supernatural. Natialie Casey plays Lauren, the old friend who holds more than a candle to Sam tainted with a sense of frustration as he once laughed at her when she told him about a meaningful, perhaps ghostly experience.  Grant Kilburn plays the new boyfriend Ben who is local, working class and seemingly less sophisticated than the others but who believes in the supernatural.  

The set is simple, an open plan kitchen/dinging room that is in the process of being redecorated after they have ripped out several walls to make it open plan.  Have they upset the lingering memories of families who have lived there before and who now return to haunt them?  We are led to believe this is the case, or perhaps the strange noise emanate from some urban foxes who are hugely vociferous, often in a sudden way.  

As the play develops and time draws near to 2.22, the fear that there is something out there trying to get to them grows.  The suspense is built when windows are opened unexpectedly, a teddy bear is moved into the bathroom and is found soaked in white spirit with no apparent logical explanation.  Sam interjects and tries to dampen down these feelings arguing for a rational, logical explanation for these strange goings on.  His arguments are powerful even though he is opposed by the other three.  

It seems the presuppositions Sam holds are that this world is thoroughly materialistic, there is no supernatural and that the universe is filled with chance events that people unite in their minds to find meaning and purpose.  While this viewpoint seems normative in the scientific community, there are alternatives.  Some believe that there is a supernatural world with some power behind it who uses chance to allow the universe to develop.  But being intelligent, the chances are loaded towards complexity and purpose.  Both options among others remain possible.   

Of course we are not allowed to tell others the dramatic nature of the ending, but therein lies a problem.  The play asks us to consider that when people talk about a person who is not there, their recollection becomes so real to them that they believe that they were actually present rather than a memory.  This stretches credibility.  The play also uses a lot of dialogue to explore the issues surrounding the supernatural, but then throws in some random screams to change scenes and to keep people jumpy.  This became tiresome.  

While there are problems with the storyline this does not alter the fact that this remains a watchable, engrossing performance that holds the attention of the audience and gives them a few things to think about in their ensuing sleepless nights waiting for that bump in the night.

Theatre

Review: Under Milk Wood, Theatr Clwyd, Mold, by Richard Evans

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Dylan Thomas, A Theatr Clwyd production. Theatr Clwyd March 19-April 4, 2026; 2 hrs 20 mins

out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

Dylan Thomas was a dreamer, drifter, poet and rogue and Under Milk Wood is undoubtedly his masterpiece. Often described as a “play for voices”, Thomas himself described it as “prose with blood pressure”.  

The storyline is undeniably simple: a day in the life of a village, Llareggub. But it’s the detail that matters.  The play opens by expressing the dreams of a host of villagers and describing their village, then portrays an ordinary day, drawing out the attitudes, character and actions of the villagers. There is a marked difference between the nature of those dreams and their daily life. The set is simple and imaginative, focusing on a houses jumbled together on a hillside – evocative of many villages in the Welsh Valleys.

This new production, directed by Theatr Clwyd’s artistic director, Kate Wasserberg, rejects static recital and animates the prose using quite a large company, incorporating several actors who are deaf, disabled or neurodivergent. The degree of preparation must have been difficult, tying together tightly- choreographed movement with the text and incorporating sign language; but cast members are nonetheless highly accomplished and thoroughly well schooled by movement director Laura Meaton – the action flows seamlessly. The cast works together as a team and during the first act there are no stand-out performers, just a group working together in unity.

During the second act a few players have the chance to shine, Georgia Griffiths sings beautifully as Polly Garter; Amy Conachan wheels around the stage in her chair with aplomb, and Sean Carlson starts and ends the day beuatifully with a wistful poem as the Reverend Jenkins.

Of course the most delightful aspect of this play is the prose. It draws you into the story and invests you in the characters. There is acute observation; Thomas knows these people and describes them affectionately, warts and all. There is an earthy, realistic humour as well as a large amount of pathos amid this excellent characterisation. The cast is great at bringing this prose to life, even though the combination of action, sign language, slick movement and on-screen text can be an assault on your eyesight at times.

This is not a traditional play, but it is a profound experience. From a mundane situation the play draws out the joys and tragedies that life brings, as well as describing an almost idyllic setting of woods, mountains, river and sea, making this an intense, but thoroughly enjoyable, night’s entertainment.

Theatre

Review: Glitch, The True Story of the Post Office Scandal, Theatr Clwyd, Mold, by Richard Evans

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A Rabble Theatre production, Theatr Weston (Theatr Clwyd)

out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

On tour nationwide until April

Glitch.  It took a television series to ignite public anger about a scandal that had been brewing for over 20 years.  Those with an eye to the news knew something about what was happening but most remained blindly indifferent to the scale of injustice that was being perpetrated.  This drama relates some personal stories from those whose lives were often ruined by the actions of the Post Office and the computer company, Fujitsu.  It focuses in particular on the story of Pam Stubbs from Barkham, a small village 15 minutes away from the Fujitsu headquarters in Basingstoke. 

Rabble theatre takes stories of national significance and develops drama from them.  They are passionate about supporting women such that when they heard the story of Pam in 2021, they felt compelled to tell her story. As they devised the show, it became apparent that this was a huge scandal, not a one off event.  Glitch was first produced in 2024, before the broadcast of the now famous ITV drama featuring Alan Bates who was knighted recently for investigating this scandal and managing the campaign for justice.  

What happened to over 900 sub-post office masters is quite simple.  A new computer system called Horizon made by Fujitsu to record transactions was installed in sub-post offices.  A selection of these Horizon machines developed a bug which altered the totals of a days takings leaving a short fall of perhaps £200 a day unaccounted for.  Over a period of time, a sub-post office could run up a debt of up to £50,000 by which time, the Post Office auditors would have been called in to inspect what was happening and concluded that the sub-post office master was swindling the system.  The Post Office would then prosecute the shop owner to recoup the money.   

Pam’s particular story is both distressing and admirable.  She kept meticulous written records of every Post Office transaction and could detail every loss that was unjustly incurred within the accounts.  Despite countless attempts to call in help from the Post Office and Fujitsu she was not believed, had her counter closed down and she had to sell her shop.  She became a social pariah in a close knit village, yet despite this when called on to testify in court, stood up and told her story despite intimidating and manipulative tactics from the defence lawyers.  She emerges as a strong minded, fair person who acted with integrity.  

This show needed a strong lead and Joanna Howarth as Pam provides this.  At times friendly and gentle, at others someone you would not mess with.  However this was a team effort with a small cast of four.  Laura Penneycard, Naveed Khan and Sabine Netherclift all played multiple roles and together they portrayed a compelling drama that illustrated the distress caused by the scandal well.  

The play notes that 300 people died before seeing this injustice exposed and their name cleared.  Thirteen of those committed suicide.  Many law abiding citizens were imprisoned or faced bankruptcy because the Post Office believed a computer system from a faceless multinational company rather than honest working people.  This really is a story of the common person fighting against the impersonal cruelty of big business and the desire to put profit before people.  Full marks to Rabble Theatre for being bold enough to tell this story.  It deserves widespread viewing.

Opera & classical

Review: Carmen, Venue Cymru, Llandudno by Richard Evans

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A Senbla production of an Ellen Kent Opera featuring the Opera International, Kyiv, Ukraine.

out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

On tour nationwide until May

Take a beautiful, enticing, manipulative woman, add a soldier in his finery and then a virile toreador and then stand back to watch the sparks fly.  That is the premise behind Georges Bizet opera, Carmen.  

The character of Carmen is ebullient and vivacious and she is not above using her charm to get what she wants. Her story involves a love triangle between herself and two suitors, a soldier and a bullfighter.  The soldier, Don Jose succumbs to her wiles and is forced to leave his regiment after falling out with his commanding officer.  In the meantime, Carmen has met with the toreador between which there is an instant, mutual attraction. Don Jose goes returns with a childhood sweetheart to see his ailing mother but then the power of Carmens seduction draws him back to her.  Consumed by jealousy when Carmen taunts his love compared to her bullfighter, he kills her.  

To play Carmen well, good acting skills and a great voice are needed and Mariia Davydova exhibits these in abundance.  The opera is famous for its sultry and seductive songs, such as Habanera and Seguidilla that ignite passion and you could not help warm to Davydovas presence on stage.   Opposite her, Iurie Gisca played Escamillo, the toreador with strength and confidence and Oleksii Srebnytskyi played Don Jose.  While Srebnytskyi did not have the stature of many soldiers his voice was striking, clear and impassioned.  Together with Davydova, they captured the mood of the opera really well. 

The supporting cast attack their role with enthusiasm, accentuating the devil may care attitudes inherent in the opera, however the fight scenes need some attention.  In the denouement, Carmen practically walks onto the knife in Don Jose’s hand and in the conflict between Don Jose and his superior officer they seemed to flap at each other ineffectively.  One nice comic touch was to see soldiers being beaten into submission by factory girls wielding bouquets of flowers.  The scenery and costumes bring the environment in southern Spain to the fore and add a dramatic backdrop to the action.

The story has elements that come across as odd in a modern age, describing cigarette smoke as “sweet smelling, rising up to heaven” and equating it with love.  I’m sure the anti-smoking lobby would disapprove of those lyrics.  The opera also illustrates how limited the choices were for women and people of a labouring class.  Carmen’s character has an untrammelled joy at times, describing love as a bird that can not be tamed, or a gypsy child that knows no laws.  This illustrates an intriguing theme within the opera, the desire for freedom which conflicts with duty and obedience to the law for the sake of avoiding chaos.

In many respects, this is a stirring show.  There is plenty of humour, some playful optimism yet with a tragic ending filled with pathos.  It is definitely a show to pull on the heartstrings.  Alongside La Traviata and Madame Butterfly, this is part of Ellen Kents ballet and opera international farewell tour and they have certainly picked out some action packed operas to present. These three shows should be high up on the ‘must see’ list of anyone with even a vague interest in opera.  

Opera & classical

Review: La Traviata, Venue Cymru, Llandudno by Richard Evans

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A Senbla production of an Ellen Kent Opera featuring the Opera International, Kyiv, Ukraine.

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

On tour nationwide until April

La Traviata, a tale of forbidden love and loss with some hauntingly beautiful melodies.  Can a man from a well to do background fall in love with a fallen woman and find acceptance from his family no matter how rich she is?

Ellen Kent’s La Traviata followed a pattern established over recent years.  The set was simple, an intricate backdrop that stayed the same for each act, with little, yet effective scenery and an orchestra that played subtly.  In effect this drew attention strongly to the stage, the costuming, voices and the acting.  As a visual spectacle this show was pleasing to the eye, the costumes suitably opulent and the background evocative of a grand ballroom.   The voices were superb but movement on stage was often more pedestrian than animated.  

The story, based on a play, the Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas is a tragedy.  Violetta is dying but when she meets a gentleman, Alfredo, they fall passionately in love.  His father persuades Violetta to abandon Alfredo to preserve the family’s honour and protect the reputation of a younger sister.  However, once Violetta is nearing her end, she is reconciled with Alfredo and the father shows some remorse for causing their rift.

The storyline dictates that the spotlight is very firmly on the soloists and in particular the lead soprano, Violetta, played by Viktoriia Melnyk.  Her voice was rich, powerful and striking especially when hitting the top notes.  Her duets with Alfredo, played by Hovhannes Andreasyan in Act 1 and with Alfredo’s father, sang by Iurie Gisca in Act 2 are heart warmingly memorable.  The large company support the leads well although more could be made of some scenes for example when the Baron challenges Alfredo to a duel.  I expected to see much more anger from the Baron.

By modern standards, there are some weaknesses to the plot.  The father, despite being told that Violetta is dying asks her to make a huge sacrifice stating that Alfredo will fall out of love with her when her looks disappear in the future.  Hardly the most understanding attitude to someone in the last throes of tuberculosis.  However, like any story it is a child of its time and attitudes have changed.  Of course women today have more personal freedom and their success in life is not defined by achieving a good match.  Society is also not as condemnatory towards people with a so called illicit lifestyle.  No matter how good a person Violetta was, she could never achieve respectability because she was a courtesan.

This production of La Triaviata is part of the farewell tour for Ellen Kents opera company.  It is accompanied by Carmen, also showing at Venue Cymru, and Madame Butterfly.  Over the past 30 years, Ellen Kent Opera and Ballet International has established a reputation for producing high quality opera and opening up the genre to a wider audience.  La Traviata is a classic opera that lives long in the memory and is therefore a fitting part of this farewell tour and leads to a sense of expectation for the next instalment, Carmen.