The National Changgeuk Company of Korea, The National Dance Company of Korea, and The National Orchestra of Korea recreates a modern fusion of LEAR, expanding on poetical expression of creativity though music, dance & drama, entailing traditional sounds of theatrically rich & immersive storytelling, strongly anchored in Korean culture.
The creative team includes Director and Choreographer Jung Young-doo, Playwright, after Shakespeare Pai Sam-shik; with Lee Tae-sup’s as set designer creating an extraordinary level of awe reenacting an underworld of a vibrant watery abyss on the stage channeling ripple effects of energetic portals, projecting a universal power of humanity in the face of mother earth’s nature. Incorporating water that filled the stage was effective due to water shifts & intense bodily movement, which increased in great depth throughout.
The themes explored in Lear is life, family, relationships, power & trust. King Lear played by Kim Jun-su speaks volumes of how life is not linear, we deeply experience pain, distance, bondage, mental breakdowns, reconciliation & regret. Both Lear’s character and relationships especially with his daughter Cordelia, played by Min Eun-kyung resonates deeply with us, where you inevitably reflect on the vulnerability & moments of pride that individuals allow to either make or break their dignity.
One of the effective elements within this production is the feature of Pansori (traditional Korean folk opera) with musical scores composed by Han Seung-seok, with additional music written by K-Pop producer Jung Jae-il (Parasite, Squid Game).Led by Pansori idol Kim Jun-su as Lear,additionally featuring a live orchestra, who were doing their magic in the wings; perfectly enriching moments of tension, harmony, serenity and electrical charges from start to finish.
This international premiere of Lear is enmeshed with exceptional vocal mastery, offering an unforgettable experience of a version of Shakespeare that is both refreshing and expansive with Korean aesthetics.
The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff runs a Community Ticketing Scheme. The Scheme supports a range of eligible people to access a FREE performance. You can see some of the performance’s available this week 23-30/09/24 below. If you are interested there is link to the eligibility criteria and a sign up form below.
Dennis Rollins & Royal Welsh College Jazz: Calypso Cymru
Thurs 26 September 2024 7.30pm
Dora Stoutzker Hall
£7.50-£15
Musical memories from the Windrush Elders Cymru are re-imagined through the musical artistry of jazz giant Dennis Rollins together with Samuel Dubois on steel pan, Cameron Pierre on guitar and Royal Welsh College’s jazz performers. Breathing new life into the calypso-classics of Lord Kitchner, Harry Belafonte, Mighty Sparrow, Monty Alexander and more, the gig will also feature new calypso/jazz arrangements of Jump in The Line, Brown Skin Girl, Angelina and Sly Mongoose. It’ll be sure to have you dancing in your seats!
“It’s going to be a pleasure to return to RWCMD for an expansion of our 2023 collaboration, Calypso Cymru. Here, our connection is the song.” Dennis Rollins
She was fame hungry, he was doomed to follow her. As one hit wonders, this is a story of their big come-back. With Sandy’s determination and Bruno’s blissful devotion to her, they are here; not by popular demand, but by sheer defiance.
With striking aesthetics and a rousing soundtrack, THE BAND is a quirky, humorous display of desperate ambition and blind affection told through awe-inspiring dance, theatre and circus.
Funded by Arts Council England. Developed with the support of Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre, as part of Progression (an Arts Council England funded project). Supported by Greenwich Dance and Jacksons Lane.
Join the award-winning ORA Singers for their inaugural Graduate Composers’ Showcase, the culmination of a brand new scheme designed to celebrate the rising stars in composition. Hear the five exceptional new voices in contemporary music: George Parris, Liberty Richardson, Tomos Owen Jones, Emma Pascoe, and Jorge Ramos, with additional ORA commissions from acclaimed composers, Paul Mealor and Odaline de la Martinez, alongside renaissance masterpieces
Exploring the connections between musical traditions and the natural world, Making Tracks brings together exceptional musicians from all corners of the globe. Collaboration has the power to foster a deeper appreciation of both biodiversity and cultural diversity, and this autumn, Making Tracks visits Cardiff for the first time with a fresh line-up of eight musicians performing a captivating programme of solo and ensemble music.
You can find out more information and book ticket here
Information on The Community Ticket Scheme
RWCMD is a performance venue with a range of theatres. We work to support the public to watch the full range of performances, many of which are free and happen regularly, like AmserJazz.
We specifically focus on supporting people who may face barriers to coming to the College. If you are a member of one of the groups below and are interested in seeing a performance at RWCMD for free, please fill this form or phone our Community Engagement Partner – Guy O’Donnell at 029 2034 2854
People from the areas of Cardiff:
Ely,
Caerau,
Canton,
Riverside,
Grangetown,
Butetown,
Adamsdown,
Splott,
Rumney,
Llanrumney,
Trowbridge
Llanedeyrn,
St Mellons
Pentrebane
Asylum seekers and refugees (Referred through membership with partner organisations)
Disabled people (Referred through membership with partner organisations or evidence of status)
Tempo Time Credit network members
Care experienced children and young people.
Groups and individuals supported by Race Council Cymru and Chinese in Wales.
We are keen to learn more about what barriers to study or live performances exist and how we can work to remove them. We seek to learn, share and work with a range of communities.
If you have any queries or you would like someone to speak to your group about the Scheme, please contact Communities Engagement Partner – Guy O’ Donnell.
Guy works on delivering a wide range of engagement activity, working across every aspect of the College with potential students, community groups, schools, colleges, audience members, partner organisations, decision makers and the wider public. You can email him at this address guy.odonell@rwcmd.ac.uk
Elf Lyons is a name I’ve heard around for a long time. All good things, I promise. And is a performer I’ve wanted to see for a long time. So it’s safe to say, I went into this completely blind but very curious.
Lyons welcomes each person at the door which is lovely and unexpected; she is endearing and lovely and already in her clown make up. To do this for each person of this most likely sold out crowd is something in itself.
What comes to pass is every level of absurd, ridiculous, hilarious, dark humoured and insane. And I loved every second. The couple next to me, American tourists, asked if I had seen her before and when I said I hadn’t, they told me they had seen this show as a work in progress and that it would “change my life”. God, weren’t they right.
Lyons takes us through a whistle stop tour of horses, what they did and do for humans, their mythical stories, but retells these in her own way. Pegasus gets new shoes but he’s also going through puberty and so this, while physicality made to look horse-like, comes across in the typical teenage angst. Made up characters boarder stereotypes slightly but again, the way that Lyons embodies them each, physically, vocally, facially is all very different, and entirely her own.
Each story is like a little sketch and each is full of dark, dark humour. And she doesn’t go for the obvious; her tales are her own and absolute comedy genius. To be honest, without all these clever and well formulated stories and characters, Lyons just trotting around for an hour could have kept me entertained alone.
Elf Lyons Horses is unique but comedy perfection and not short of a genius show.
Throw together some Queer theatre, clowning, deep therapy, the X Factor and you have Plewds.
Plewds travels through the story of a Queer person as they try to get over a break up, but it’s more than that – it’s about identity, Queer stories and injustices of this.
Katherine Payne starts and ends the show unconventionally, they are very meta throughout, and admit this with not knowing how to start or end the show. The hardest parts, but certainly not the hardest they have experienced. We are taken through high levels of clowning and comedy and then thrown quickly and deeply into reality and despair. This sets us up each time for a roller coaster of emotion and makes the break down of their story even more poignant towards the end.
The characters they create are well constructed, if not clowned versions of stereotypes, helping to deliver the stories but make political and social commentary, A male detective who believes a lesbian interaction is an example of them as “just friends”, continuing to showcase the misconceived ideals through history.
There is of course audience participation (this is fringe) and these elements are just as funny as the pre-planned production. It adds a fantastic layer to the production and the audiences really getting into their tasks brought comedy and a comfortable break in the forth wall.
Plewds has a important message of identity of Queer people and Queer relationships and can resonate with many. But at the same time, it is a lot of fun and full of clown-fuelled comedy.
Have you ever felt different? Like you don’t fit in? That something is wrong with you?
Das Clarks, with their sterling performer, DAR, take a deep dive into these thoughts and feelings, looking at identity and belonging. By looking at DAR’s life, we see their transition through it and where these questions rose, what they did about it and how they accepted truth.
In the standard Clarks way, this performance has every element of intimacy, pulses of high energy, physical theatre and also gentleness. We are welcomed to the space, a space full of items that represent DAR, to include A LOT of pigeon items (one of my fav). DAR meets with each of us as an old friend, welcoming us and interacting very informally. We are being welcomed into a safe space and our respect in this is paramount to allow the performance to go ahead.
DAR takes us through their life, from items around the room and their meaning, to short stories they have written at poignant parts of life. We see them as they recount their passions and loves which is entirely heartwarming, to the funny and also heart breaking times of trying to fit in as a neurodiverse queer person. While unique to DAR, this is a story many can relate to and resonates deeply.
Audience participation is key and expected, but there is a level of respect and consent in this and it feels warm and inviting. We discuss labels – the good, the bad, the ugly and what they mean. DAR has this very positive approach and so words we would think of negatively, they have a positive spin – it’s an inspiring approach and we take this with gusto.
Then comes the pockets of physicality or level changing, from physical theatre pieces to DAR’s favourite music, spoken word at a fast pace at the mic or a moment of playing the bass. This heightens the performance in theatricality and breaks us a little from the comfortable lull we feel here in DAR’s room with them. The movements are visually stunning, with DAR clearly enjoying themselves and in the moment, pulling faces or closing their eyes to enjoy. They are representative yet abstract, making this a perfect bit of physical interlude.
As always, Das Clarks work is something of inspiration and perfection. It is quintessentially Welsh in its approach, as I always say, that Welsh theatre is something so unique, different and avant-guard. DAR is a brilliant performer and it was a pleasure to go on a journey with them, finding themselves and resonating with many.
Rarely have I been in a situation when a review is hard to write because it is such perfection.
I very much booked this on a whim; I saw plenty talking about this, from fringe contemporaries to general public and as a cabaret, burlesque obsessive and millenial who grew up with and watches Shrek on repeat for comfort, I also couldn’t resist.
Most burlesque shows run for a couple of hours, with interval and presenters. But at Fringe, this isn’t an option and actually, the consistant pace the show is forced into just helps with keeping the laughter coming. Not that there is a problem with that in the first place.
As the name suggests, this burlesque show is a satirical take, with drag, burlesque, rude jokes and phenominal singing of Shrek, condensed to one hour with highlight triggers. From pop culture references or if you have just seen Shrek an ungodly amount of time, you’re already speaking the words along with the audio; the surprises and their take on them are all the more funny with extensive knowledge and they have chosen something so brilliant to be creative and get the audience going.
Transitions are smooth and we are thrown in from the start. Innuendo is writhe and the little details to create jokes are well planned and thought out. And the actual skill of the performers is a gold star – they are professional, having fun and extremley talented. I have probably never been to a show when, the next act comes on and i’m laughing at the sheer impressiveness of their choice and conduct or saying “No F***ing way!”. I was entirely engaged and so was every audience member, by the sounds of the cheers, the singing along, the laughter and clapping. It’s a wonder the Assembly Main Hall is still in tact.
Swamplesque is everything I wanted it to be and more. Not a foot wrong, so extremely clever in execution, creation and thought, they were meticulous in their choices and artistic direction and I had THE BEST time. Now to go away and question all my thoughts and feelings…
Tik Tok and social media has taken over our lives. I’ve not escaped this, despite my “I don’t do insta” or “I’ll never go on Tik Tok”… trying to be cool, “old” and against the grain but I caved long ago. And owning it in embarrassment. More only as a voyeur and posting adventures.
Performance artist Louise Orwin takes this concept and runs the other way with it. As a known (at times) controversial artist (and trust when I say that with entire adoration), Orwin looks at her years of life while in her late 30’s and her choices, other’s choices and the world and asks – did she do all of this to be famous? And is it too late to still be famous?
She begins this as an obscure social experiment. Those who do use Tik Tok will instantly recognise the absurdity she conducts as the usual on this platform but others may think she has either lost her mind or doing some avant-garde performance. The former is felt by 800+ people at the time, as we realise she is live on Tik Tok and performing. Some actively say she needs help; some can’t believe what they are seeing; some think she’s an icon; some are blowing her cover and announcing it is a performance. This live, changeable interaction is likely new every night but also likely to be the same sentiments. When she does anything against the community rules of the app, she gets kicked off Tik Tok, all too soon. She was only licking a lollipop! But there’s jeopardy to this approach and anything could happen.
To the side of the stage is a pink haired person on a screen – Jax. Jax comes fom working with Orwin outside of the show and eventually, is her “guru” in all things gen z and Tik Tok. Jax has a huge following and the discourse of how this was achieved is discussed, touching upon how children are sexualised on the app and almost forced to grow up all too quickly. But is it for money? Not really. Recognition? Not really. Fame? Who knows. Orwin balances these thoughts between action on stage, on screens and with a written commentary noting projected at the back on forced performance, and uneasy feelings about her life on the web.
Orwin is frank and open, clear about the complexities in her head but also brings high-level physical theatre to the stage – all live to not only us but random people on an app – and interestingly, after getting kicked off and using another account, simply running on a treadmill racks those likes back up again. Tik Tok is now this bizarre world wide phenomenon that Orwin has been doing on stage for years. Is it competition? Will it make her famous?
With intense spoken word, the physicality and all the existential discussion around the topic, FAMEHUNGRY is entirely captivating. It is thought provoking, perfection and sheer brilliance. And is raising the important questions with no final conclusion at the end – because to go against the grain is to be left behind, but to go with it creates an uncomfortable feeling. What do they decide to do? Just to keep going. Because, what else is there?
The Adventure Zone: The Suffering Game is the newest release in the TAZ Graphic Novel series, a book series spun from their first iteration of the story, through playing DND for a podcast. I’ve loved this podcast since I first heard it, and it’s incredible to relive and re-experience the story with a fresh new look and some changes to the story after time has elapsed.
Suffering Game is the sixth book in the series of (what I think will be) seven total, and the sixth arc of seven in the podcast’s original storytelling. And though my softest spot is for TAZ: The Eleventh Hour (which is arc five), this is a close second. The ramping tension and upheaval of the stakes in this arc is fantastic, and I love how well it was put to paper in this novel.
The art and transition to paper that this arc takes is fantastic; the drawings and attention to detail is done to an exceptionally high standard, and the movement of the story into book form is really well done. That being said, there are some omissions in the book from the original podcast story, and some of them are moment that I miss greatly, but understand wholeheartedly why they were removed. A lot of it is to do with streamlining, naturally, and things like “trimming the fat”, but it was “the fat” that I liked the taste of best. There are things removed from the character’s arc that I understand – removing these aspects is fine since they technically don’t lead anywhere. They’re superficial aspects (character’s looks being sacrificed to the game, character backstory going unexplored) because, ultimately, they don’t serve any purpose in the finale or wider story. Which is fine. Except for, I miss them. But it is fine.
This story as a whole means a lot to me, I’ve always really enjoyed it, and I still do. I like it in both audio and visual form. The art by Carey Pietsch is fantastic (as it always has been), and the writing works brilliantly to invoke its origins, keep the pace, and make you laugh. Which it does!
It’s an excellent graphic novel – though maybe not as an entry to the series (would be hard to start a series at the penultimate!). Though I think that part of my five stars comes from nostalgia and old love for the material, I still think it deserves that ranking. It’s a great book, an easy read; the art is fantastic and it’s fun to look for the small details across every page.
Do not take Women for granted. Let us celebrate International Women’s Day. Women can be strong; they can be bold. The time is now.
Take a moment out of your busy day and visit the Cynon Valley Museum Aberdare as it presents the work of Alix Edwards (Alix Edwards visual artist & writer artography) and her KICKASS “Myth of Women” Exhibition.
Take heed, these are visually strong paintings of women, shown stunningly in vibrant colours resilient in their quests. Women who have battled the extremes of Humankind, illuminated shining and intense through the atmospheric power of this talented artist and storyteller of myths and truths
The vitality of pure brushstrokes hold the attention crying out for the legendary stories to be told. It is the black and white stretched so neatly into the full spectrum of colours. A kaleidoscope entwining mystery and magic
The names may be familiar with many attributed to the bardic Tales of Taliesen, others by their Martyrdom.
Ceridwen, Gwladys, Gwen, Nest, Winifred, Ffraid, Gwraig Anwn, Rhiannon and Gwenllian. Think of the strength and resilience of Gwenllian who fought when pregnant, her abdomen shown in the painting comparable to a shield protecting the future generation. The beheaded Winifred and the Rhondda Valleys’ own “Our Lady of Penrhys”.
There is the poignant reflection of the Magdalen Laundries in the accompanying paintings entitled “Babies”. You can sense the urgency of the lost children to be found, feel the cutting words and wounds that come with the sorrow of memories. The stains of injustice.
The fire is lit encompassing all these women as the forerunners of the suffragettes, the women who took on the jobs of men during the two world wars, the Greenham common protest, helping to launch the first space journey to the Moon, the first computer, the foundation of the Wireless connection Wi-Fi and the GPS system, the structure of DNA. A baton has been handed over for other women to blaze a new trail
The Myth of Women Exhibition calls out Women be strong, define yourself, be brave, speak out against ignorance, be beautiful, remind yourself you are unique, the power and the pride BE YOU
Do not take women for granted, do not forget that it was Adam who was left with the apple lodged in his throat.
This Exhibition is presented at the Cynon Valley Museum until Saturday 30 March.
Events ongoing at the Cynon Valley Museum please see their Website/Facebook for details.
In Aberdare and the Rhondda Fach Avant Cymru theatre company will present The Silent Volunteer by Sue Bevan at St Elvan’s Church on Thursday, 11 April and at Tylorstown Welfare Hall and Institute on Friday, 12 April. Performances at both venues are at 2 pm and 7 pm. Please see Avant Cymru website for more information and tickets In YOUR area within a short distance or a bus ride.
It’s staggering the amount of hate Yoko Ono gets. Wrongfully blamed for breaking up The Beatles, after getting with John Lennon, she and her art has been mocked, judged and dismissed. In the biggest UK show to date, The Tate sets the record straight.
As we arrive before entering the space, we can leave notes on wish trees, one of many Japanese inspired ideas in her art. A video of her eye permeating the threshold to entry, we hear her on the phone and read tiny messages from personally. There is a vivid video of a match being struck, her work on fire may hark back to her escape from fire bombs of the Tokyo of her childhood. An escape to the countryside and the sky bring an influence is also essential.
We as the audience can take part in her work: doss around in a black bag, hammer a nail to a block of wood, walk over the canvas itself. The taking part is fun, though I think the chance for more than one person at a time would be encouraged. Her time in Japan, London and New York sees her ideas form and thrive, there is plenty of poetry and jokes. Collabs with John Cage and his partner David Tudor are also excellent. Getting a chance to hear this was a highlight. The video of bottoms is also telling and nicely filmed.
You can sit and watch the infamous Sit in Bed Piece with Lennon, creating your own art as you do. Listen to her music back catalogue, take a piece of jigsaw from a helmet for peace. Yoko asks us to create the art in our own minds, as we are given many prompts to do so. The idea of peace has been so important to her for years and now her messages are more important than ever. We got to draw in a room with a refuge boat. I showed off my Giotto circle. Children felt like they could muck in, which was lovely. A girl amused me saying she was scared when I was engulfed by the bag. It’s almost a burqa, the imagery is very similar.
I’m down to come back and muck about more, though I doubt the naysayers will be moved.
Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind runs at the Tate Modern till 1st September 2024
Creating opportunities for a diverse range of people to experience and respond to sport, arts, culture and live events. / Lleisiau amrywiol o Gymru yn ymateb i'r celfyddydau a digwyddiadau byw
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