Credit Andy Ross
It was pure coincidence that I was  learning about the miners strike in school when I went to go watch the production of In Time O’Strife by National Theatre of Scotland at the Sherman Theatre. I already knew some facts about the strike, but the production gave me the ability to see it from a miners point of view.
Through the rhythmic music and the choreography I could see the struggles and hardships the miners and their families had to face.  At times the music was joyous and made me want to get up and join in with the dancing, but other times I could feel the fear and desperation the miners must have felt. Every voice that sang enchanted me into the world of the play through song. The choreography by Imogen Knight was genius. It captured pain and frustration perfectly. The stomping of the feet during the movement sections particularly stood out for me.
The set designed by Graham McLaren (who also adapted and directed this production) was in a vintage style  and fitted the era the production was set in expertly.  I noticed a small TV screen counting the amount of days the miners had been on strike. First it was 185, then 192 and lastly 199 days. This made me think about how hard the strike must have been not only for  the miners, but their families too.
The strike caused what I assume is a close community to fall apart. The choice between starvation or to be shunned by everyone you know consumes them all. I saw that especially from the character Jock played by John Kazek.
I know that I wouldn’t be able to be as strong as the miners during the strike, but you should all watch this performance to decide for yourselves. Especially if you enjoy music and history.

 
Photo Credit Mark Douet
I recently had the opportunity to go and watch Romeo and Juliet on the 3^th October in the Sherman Theatre, my initial thoughts on the play was that it would be boring as I had studied it in school and couldn’t really understand the language or the story line. Upon seeing this performance has completely changed my perspective of Shakespeare and how the language is spoken. This modernized twist on Romeo and Juliet really is quite a smart one as it enables you to really get to grasp and understand the world of the play.
From the start of the production as soon as I heard a voice from the back of the theatre and heard the lines ‘Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene’ my heart was filled with excitement and eagerness to see how this was going to be played. I think that each character each play the part incredibly well, especially Nurse played by Anita Reynolds, the way she adapted her character in a modernized way with her very bright pink track suit and high-heeled trainers made me laugh all the way through from her body language to her facial expressions.
Another actor I thought gave and outstanding performance was Mercutio played by Scott Reid, as I didn’t know much about him as a character before I watched the play. He really showed what it is like to be a true friend to Romeo and a slight bromance between the two of them from him jumping into his arms, his body language and facial expressions showed a completely different story from his very first moments on stage to his very last.
Each actor played his own part and they all played them perfectly, Romeo (Chris Gordon) & Juliet’s (Sophie Melville) chemistry was one to remember, from the first time they meet each other and their eyes meet to their first kiss so passionate and full of love to their very last day.
The background of the play was modernized as the top of the set with ripped down posters was lifted up to revel a stunning balcony and down below they were able to transform what looked very boring and grey into every scene in the world of Verona.
The costumes were also very modern but had that Elizabethan taste about them. My favourite outfit would be Juliet’s dress in the party scene, her pink princess dress and red doctor martens really made her have that edgy effect. Also Romeo had that edgy look with his long black hooded jacket. One of my favourite outfits would have been Mercutio I loved his whole look and how he portrayed himself. My favourite scene would have been the party scene I loved the music and the way they danced it was really effective and creative.

 
Nurse played by Anita Reynolds
Romeo played by Chris Gordon
Photograph Credit Mark Douet
The production of Romeo and Juliet at Sherman Cymru was exciting and fun, as an audience member I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The actors portrayed their characters in a realistic and comprehensible way. Even though the play was in Shakespearean English, I knew what was happening because of how the actors performed their roles, and their facial expressions. Throughout the whole play each actor stayed in character, and not once slipped up. During the Capulet’s party, I kept diverting my attention from Romeo and Juliet to see what the other characters were doing, and each one of them was doing something. Whether it be dancing or having a drink, they were never just there.
I really loved the fact that the Sherman modernized the play. The costumes and music were not from fourteenth/fifteenth century, but were from the twenty first century, which gave the play a really unique twist. The music really added something to the play, and made it much more entertaining for the younger audience.
The set was one of the best aspects of the whole play. The set designer, Kenny Miller, obviously had put a lot of thought into it. At the beginning when I saw the stage I wondered how they would show the balcony scene between Romeo and Juliet, I mean there wasn’t a balcony anywhere in sight. Well, I was absolutely amazed by how the balcony was revealed to be behind, what I thought was, just a street wall covered with posters. Absolutely amazing! The set had been so carefully designed and you could see that from the start. I loved how the Capulet’s mausoleum was right at the front, but also kind of unnoticeable until right at the end. The detail in the set design really blew my mind and I cannot begin to imagine how much time was put into creating it.
Whilst studying the play in school I didn’t really pay attention to characters such as Benvolio and Mercuito, they were just side characters. This production completely changed my mind. If it were not for those characters the play would not be nearly as excellent as it was. The actors who portrayed Benvolio Linden Walcott-Burton and Mercuito Scott Reid were incredible. I cannot believe that I hadn’t given them a second thought before. Benvolio was such a strong character. No head-turn, hand-gesture or line was unimportant. I was entranced as I watched him. I don’t cry at plays, but as I watched Mercuito die, tears came to my eyes. It was so realistic and believable! Scott Reid is a phenomenal actor and I would love to see him in other productions.
There are no words to describe how much I loved the Nurse played by Anita Reynolds. Her pink tracksuit, hairstyle and sassy persona had me enthralled every time she was on stage. I found myself just staring at the Nurse even when she wasn’t speaking, just to see the eye-roll I knew was coming.

Romeo played by Chris Gordon
Juliet played by Sophie Melville
Photograph Credit Mark Douet
The love and angst between Romeo played by Chris Gordon and Juliet played by Sophie Melville was portrayed perfectly! I could not fault the actors at all. I love how Romeo was dressed and how Juliet was a typical teenage girl. It just added to the play and made it easier to understand.
I absolutely loved the production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Rachel O’Riordan at the Sherman Theatre. It was unbelievable! The set and music were brilliant! Each character was portrayed fantastically and I would love to see the play over and over again. If I had to choose between watching the 1996 film version of Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio and The Sherman Theatres version, I would pick the Sherman’s version without a second thought.

 
Scott as Reid Mercutio
Photo credit: Mark Douet
When I thought of Romeo and Juliet, I used to think about pointless deaths and nauseating romance. That all changed when I went to see the Sherman Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Rachel O’Riordan on October 3rd.
One of things I will not be forgetting about anytime soon are the costumes. The characters in the play  were dressed in modern clothing, that wasn’t much different to what my friends and I wear. The costumes and the music created a modern feel to the play that the audience and I could connect to.
My favourite scene had to be during the Capulet party. Romeo played by Chris Gordon and Juliet played by Sophie Melville  were in a  passionate embrace, but what really caught my eye was how the characters in the background danced in time to the music. It was very subtle, but extremely effective.
My favourite performance was the solid acting from Mercutio played by Scott Reid. I loved how he was bold and demonstrated the bromance between himself and Romeo  perfectly.  His most powerful scene was when he was killed by Tybalt played by Luke Eliott Bridgeman and yelled “A curse on both your houses” As an audience member I sympathised with his character who got caught up in a feud that ultimately led to his untimely death.

LukeElliot  Bridgeman as Tybalt
Linden Walcott-Burton as Benvolio
Photo credit: Mark Douet
I’m not a fan of romance normally, but the chemistry between Romeo and Juliet  was as clear as day. Their forbidden love caused by their families mutual hatred  was heart wrenching. During their final scene when Juliet plunged the weapon into her side, a small part of me prayed that they would reunite in a fictional afterlife.
I really enjoyed the production of Romeo and Juliet and recommended it to all my friends, I do the same to you.

Seeing Romeo and Juliet at the Sherman Theatre on the third of October changed my perspective on the play completely, I have studied the play for coursework in year nine and ten and I couldn’t have hated a play more than I hated this one, it absolutely did my head in! The language was pretty difficult for me to grasp and use for evidence in my essays, but after seeing it on stage, I wanted to go back in time and tell myself to hold on, and not judge it rashly. I’m not an expert on Shakespearean English, but the way the actors portrayed their characters in time with their lines made everything so much clearer and much more enjoyable.
My  favourite character in this play was Mercutio, who was played by Scott Reid. When I was doing the play in school, I didn’t really know much about any character I didn’t have to write a lengthy essay about, (I wasn’t really supposed to focus on anyone else) so seeing him as a bubbly and loveable character really was a nice change of scenery from two star-crossed lovers and their angst. Reid was phenomenal in this role, because he could use the space around in really interesting ways, I don’t think I ever saw him not using his hands or being completely still! (Unless he had to, during that one particular part in the party scene in the Capulet’s’ manor.) to me, personally, this is a sign of an actor who definitely knows what they are doing on stage. My drama teacher often says for us to “never just stand there” – always do something, even if it’s little – It was never boring to see him excitedly moving about! It even made me want to join in! His facial expressions when his character had been stabbed made me feel the pain he must have been feeling, and it made me want to jump up and reassure him. I remember that he pulled the coat he was wearing around him as he did this, which made my feelings of wanting to help practically double. When studying the play in school, I wasn’t swayed by him dying, but when I saw it on stage after noting all of this, I wished it hadn’t happened at all. I adored the fact that many actors had an accent. I loved that Mercutio had a Scottish accent, as it seemed to maximise his bubbly and fun personality.
I particularly loved the modernised representation of certain characters such as the Nurse and the servant, Peter. They went from simple servants to someone who you could just tell had been angry to have been cut off,  from rather bland to sassy and likeable . Every hip-swish and hand gesture was amazing and I’ll never forget them.
I loved the clothes that everyone wore especially the Nurse and Lady Capulet’s costumes. The pink tracksuit the Nurse wore (along with her fantastic accent) made me grin every time she appeared. A pink tracksuit like that was so much more enjoyable to see than a maid’s outfit! Lady Capulet’s costumes were great, too! I loved that in the very beginning fight scene she tried to use her high heel as a weapon! Her costumes especially in the party scene one was a lot more exciting than a corset and a dress with a thousand layers to it!
I loved the music that was played between and during scenes. The party scene at the Capulet’s’ was absolutely top, with  a very infectious beat, I couldn’t help bobbing along with the characters. I don’t know the names of the tracks of the songs used, if I did, they’d be sitting in a playlist on my iPod labeled “Fab Romeo and Juliet tracks!!” Dubstep in a Shakespearean play? Loved it!
The set designed by Kenny Miller was outstanding! The modern posters and newspapers, which had been put up, and stripped/ripped down made the set really look like a modern street, which was fantastic for the street brawls! I loved the almost-jail-cell, which doubled as a coat wardrobe. It made me smile. It looked so interesting amidst the rest of the set. The air of mystery was thick and fantastic with that thrown in the mix as well as everything else. I dare to think how much effort was put into creating it and how long it must have taken. I didn’t even expect the top to lift up and reveal a balcony set. (Even though I should have known about it! I studied the play!).
I loved the play and the direction by Rachel O’Riordan, if I could see it again and again I would be very happy. Every character was loveable in their own unique way and each and every single one touched my heart and left a mark there I’ll never forget. The way the cast performed made it a masterpiece; I’ll never forget Romeo and Juliet at the Sherman Theatre.

Photo credit Farrow Creative
Welsh playwright Gary Owen wrote this shattering triptych of vulnerable masculinity in 2001. Now, in 2014, it gnaws at the bone just as much. In fact, in this production by Waking Exploits, it may as well snap the bone off completely. Three accomplished actors deliver three similarly brash, shocking monologues in a strange hinterland spattered with empty bottles, shards of glass and a disused karaoke machine – a set designed aptly by Alison Neighbour that subtly reflects the shattered hopes of the characters.
 
First up is the eponymous Crazy Gary, equipped only with a tracksuit, a swagger and a murderous look in his eye. Gary – who is in no way based on the playwright (as far as I know) – makes sure we know he’s getting laid tonight. After carving an esteemed reputation at school as the bully, Gary now runs a mobile disco at the local pub. And no one gets in the way of his disco night. That’s common knowledge. But, of course, when it comes to the girl of his dreams, we find he’s capable of some ounce of compassion, although violence seems to be his only way of coping. Jordan Bernarde embodies the role brilliantly, conveying the character’s psychopathic hostility as well as his brittle spirit.
 
Gwydion Rhys then steps up to the mic and warbles us a ballad as Matthew D. Melody, the next in the troubled trio. Karaoke King Matthew, bearing a perturbed stare and a wailing singing voice, tells us of his newfound love Candy, his devotion to God and his unfortunate incident involving the mutilated corpse of a cat.
 
Finally, Sion Pritchard gives the last and most twisted of the monologues – the one that finally ties the three into a firm and unbreakable knot. Pritchard plays Russell who is desperate to flee the town that has tormented him so. His attention-seeking girlfriend, however, has other ideas and blackmails him into following her rules. Still haunted by a horrific incident from his schooldays – something that links the three men – it seems Russell does not have much choice.
 
All the characters seem ruled by the women in their lives. Gary’s violent manner is made to seem pathetic when his dream girl snubs him. The girl of Matthew’s affection seems detached and aloof from his desire. Russell too is forced and threatened by his clearly unhinged partner, piling on more guilt on top of what already burdens him. Does this make the play misogynistic? Or rather, is it a feminist text? Since the women clearly have the upper hand here.
 
Under Matt Ball’s direction, the actors participate in each other’s monologues, voicing minor characters, thus amplifying the connection we eventually discover between them. Although each character has done best to avoid each other for years, something of their spirit lingers. The projected motifs of tearful eyes and bloodied teeth either side of the stage thicken once again the knot that binds them.
 
It’s not one for the faint-hearted, the narrow-minded nor the easily offended, but it is one for those hard knocks out there who relish Welsh drama. As a play, it adds emotional depth to the stereotype. It’s violent, yes. It’s crass, undoubtedly. But the cruelty is only a front for something tender and helpless. Here is masculinity crying for its mother.