It has taken me an embarrassingly long amount of time to witness the new digital version of theatre that has come out of the result of the nationwide lockdown. The reason for my lack of theatre during these troubling times has been due mostly to the fact that I didn’t think they could adapt the theatre experience to be totally online and could potentially tarnish my experience and thoughts on shows in the future but I could not have been more wrong! I have recently experienced some of the best theatres I have ever seen during this time of everyone staying home and “Metamorphosis” by Hijinx Theatre is no exception.
The last show created by Hijinx was titled “Meet Fred” which was a genius piece of theatre with the focus on inclusivity for performers being a key idea in both shows. Despite this, I was still cautious about the totally digital show but after watching this show I totally regret having any reservations.
Hijinx Theatre are a very inclusive company that includes performers from all walks of life including those with physical or mental learning needs. This idea of getting everyone included is obviously very important and allows everyone a chance to showcase their skills which I believe is exactly what, in my opinion, theatre should be about. The company take this one step further by making there shows as accessible to everyone as possible. In this show, there were options for Closed Captioning and translations in German which again is fantastic to see included in theatre. Hijinx have set the bar extremely high for inclusive theatre and I believe that many other companies should look to them for advice on how to allow the greatest number of people to enjoy theatre in the future.
The show opens (after joining the Zoom call and typing in the details etc) with all viewers waiting in a digital bar. When I read on the press email that there would be a digital theatre bar in this performance it really puzzled me as to how can you do a digital bar. During this section, viewers were encouraged digitally to raise a hand to be invited to share their video and chat with the barman. This was a great way to include the audience into the show which is important for Hijinx shows as their shows often have a great level of audience participation and so this would have been left out if they hadn’t have come up with this idea of a bar themed waiting room. The barman himself was clearly having a really fun time during the show and had everyone laughing throughout the parts he was included in. My personal favourite was when he created a ‘metamorphosis’ cocktail for selected that magically transformed into whatever the audience members had laying around the house which was so ridiculously silly but I could not help but laugh. The barman’s dedication to the over-the-top persona allowed this silly skits and sketches to work and so he should be praised for his character dedication. This ‘show’ did however at times become more of an experience rather than watching and show as such which did conflict with the more theatrical scenes despite how fun the audience participation sections were.
The show itself has been crafted in a way to be a comical perspective on the effects of Zoom calls and the new perspective on theatre. It had a montage of people taking part in digital auditions such as someone who is to close to the camera or can’t work out their headphones etc. The ‘director’ in the show also stood up at one point with their pants on show to the camera which is something we have all done on a Zoom call. Dressing fancy on the top part of us and then wearing PJs or just pants on the bottom half is a famous occurrence on Zoom calls and it was hilariously funny for this show to acknowledge that this happens. The show also possessed polls and texts that helped more the show from scene to scene and allowed it to smoothly transition which was another great inclusion but also added to the tension and excitement of the piece. I did, however, find it very confusing and distracting to watch so many different people across different screens which I did find somewhat tiresome after a while.
Overall, Metamorphosis is a very unique experience, unlike anything I have ever witnessed before. It managed to utilise the video call software to create a theatre experience unlike any other but did become somewhat distracting. I would rate this show 4 stars out of 5 and would encourage people to keep an eye out for some of Hijinx’s productions as it shows people how inclusive theatre can be of done correctly!
Heddiw, mae’r theatr dafarn Caerdydd The Other Room, enillydd Gwobr Theatr Fringe Y Flwyddyn gan The Stage, sydd wedi’i leoli ym mar Porter’s, yn cyhoeddi ei phrosiect Haf 2020, sef New Page. Dengys y rhaglen hon, am y tro cyntaf, gyfle i gynnal Galwad Sgript Agored ar gyfer ysgrifenwyr. Byddant yn derbyn hyd at 100 o sgriptiau llawn, gyda phob un yn derbyn adborth cynhwysfawr gan dîm o ddarllenwyr sgript proffesiynol.
Bydd modd cyflwyno ceisiadau rhwng y 5ed o Awst tan Hydref y 4ydd, ac anelir yn benodol at ysgrifenwyr sydd naill ai yn Gymraeg, wedi’i hyfforddi yng Nghymru neu wedi’i lleoli yng Nghymru. Gobaith y theatr yw i greu partneriaethau creadigol newydd yn ogystal â datblygu’n bellach sgiliau dramodwyr Cymru. Bydd y theatr yn annog ceisiadau gan ysgrifenwyr sydd erioed wedi ysgrifennu i’r llwyfan; gan dderbyn barddoniaeth, straeon byr a dyfyniadau deialog yn ogystal â sgriptiau llawn.
Bydd Yasmin Begum, sydd newydd ei phenodi yn Swyddog Cysylltu Cymunedol, yn ymdrechu i olrhain 30% o’r holl geisiadau drwy waith cyfranogol wedi’i dargedu gyda’r cymunedau hynny o Gaerdydd sydd ar gyrion cymdeithas a gyda phobl efo nodweddion gwarchodedig. Ar ôl y cyfnod derbyn ceisiadau, anfonir rhestr fer at dîm gweithredol y theatr ar gyfer ystyriaeth ymhellach. Caiff ysgrifenwyr y rhestr fer gyfle i dderbyn sesiynau adborth gan Dîm Weithredol TOR, gyda’r gobaith o feithrin perthynas hir-dymor ystyrlon gyda’r theatr.
Dywed Dan Jones, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig The Other Room:
“Prin iawn y bydd sefydliad fel The Other Room yn segur, ond fel y gwyddom i gyd, rydym yn boenus o dawel ar hyn o bryd. Mae hi wedi bod yn gyfnod o fyfyrio dwfn, pryder ac adfyd. Ond yn y drychineb du yma, daw cyfle. Cyfle i droi tudalen. Gan ystyried popeth sy’n digwydd yn ein byd, dyma’r cyfnod i aros, i wrando ac i gysylltu.
Gyda chefnogaeth anhygoel gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru a’r Sefydliad Esmee Fairbairn rydym yn falch i gyflwyno “New Page”, ein platfform ceisiadau agored. Dyma gyfle gwych i artistiaid Cymraeg neu sydd wedi’i lleoli yng Nghymru i gyflwyno eu hunain a’u straeon. Rydym yn ymwybodol nad ydym wedi gwneud digon i gyrraedd ac atgyfnerthu lleisiau sydd heb eu clywed yma yng Nghymru. Dyma ein cam cyntaf bwysig tuag at newid ystyrlon ac ni allwn aros i glywed ganddoch.”
Dywed Yasmin Begum, Swyddog Cysylltu Cymunedol:
“Mae New Page yn fenter sy’n torri tir newydd yng Nghaerdydd i gefnogi ysgrifenwyr ac i greu gwaith newydd. Rydyn wrth ein bodd i gael gweithio gyda gwahanol gymunedau ac aelodau’r gymuned i alluogi ysgrifenwyr i ddylanwadu ar sector y celfyddydau mewn ffordd bositif ac i hybu cydraddoldeb, cynhwysiant ac amrywiaeth.
Byddwn yn gweithio mewn modd arloesol a chroestoriadol i ddarganfod gwaith ysgrifenedig o Gymru a thu hwnt yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg. Rydyn yn hynod o gyffrous i weithio gydag ystod eang o ddarllenwyr gan obeithio ddechrau perthynas o gysylltiadau broffesiynol newydd gydag ysgrifenwyr tra yn rhoi cefnogaeth ac arweiniad.”
Cefnogir New page gyda chymorth Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, Sefydliad Esmee Fairbairn a chefnogwyr SupportTOR.
Ar gyfer mwy o wybodaeth ynglyn â New Page gan The Other Room, ewch i
Today, Cardiff’s pub theatre The Other Room, located in Porter’s and winner of The Stage’s Fringe Theatre of the Year Award, announces its Summer 2020 project, entitled New Page. The programme will see, for the first time in the theatres existence, an Open Script Submission for writers. They will accept up to 100 full-length pieces of writing, with each receiving comprehensive feedback from a team of professional script readers.
Submissions will be open from 5th August through to 4th October, and is aimed specifically at Welsh, Wales-trained or Wales-based writers. The theatre hopes to forge new creative partnerships and further develop the skills of Wales’ writers. The theatre will be encouraging submissions from writers who have never written for stage before; accepting poems, short stories and dialogue extracts as well as full-length scripts.
Newly appointed Community Engagement Officer, Yasmin Begum, will endeavour to source a minimum of 30% of the total submissions through targeted outreach work with marginalised communities of Cardiff and people with protected characteristics. After the submission period, a shortlist will be sent to the theatre’s executive team for further consideration. Shortlisted writers will receive feedback sessions with TOR’s Executive Team, marking the beginning of what we hope will be a long-lasting, meaningful relationship with the theatre.
The Other Room’s Artistic Director, Dan Jones, comments:
“It is rare for an organisation such as The Other Room to sit still, but as we all know, right now, we are painfully still. It has been a period of serious reflection, anxiety, and adversity. But buried deep in this catastrophe there is opportunity. An opportunity to turn the page. With all that is going on in the world, now is the time to stop, to listen and to connect.
With the incredible support of Arts Council Wales and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation we are pleased to present “New Page”, our open submission platform. This is a fantastic opportunity for Welsh and Wales-based artists to introduce themselves and their stories. We know we have not been doing enough to reach and empower unheard voices here in Wales. This is our first important step towards meaningful change, and we cannot wait to hear from you.”
Community Engagement Officer, Yasmin Begum, comments:
“New Page is a groundbreaking initiative based in Cardiff to support writers and the creation of new work. We are thrilled to work with different communities and community members to engage writers to positively impact the arts sector and promote equality, inclusion and diversity.
We will be taking an innovative and intersectional approach to source written work from across Wales and beyond in the medium of English and Welsh. We’re really excited to be working with such a broad range of readers and hopefully start the beginning of new working relationships with writers as we offer support and guidance.”
New Page is made possible with the support of Arts Council Wales, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, and our SupporTOR donors.
‘One household, all alike in dignity, In our living room, we rehearse our scenes’ reads The HandleBard’s Facebook promo post. The cycling Shakespeare troupe, formed in 2013, are finally back in the bicycle saddle after emerging from lockdown with a new version of Romeo and Juliet directed by Nel Crouch. This year’s configuration of Bards is co-habiting trio Tom Dixon, Lucy Green and Paul Moss, which includes real-life couple Tom and Lucy…perhaps making Paul the third wheel (pun intended). “Which is why I’m playing Romeo!” announces Paul to laughter, an arrangement which allows for some entertaining mock-jealousy and several warning glances at guilty-looking audience members.
Melodramatic madness in the world’s greatest love story. Image: Rah Petherbridge
On arrival at the picturesque venue, Hoghton Tower’s walled garden, we’re welcomed and informed of the safety guidelines, doused with hand sanitiser, and led to a spot well clear of other households. All this is done by the HandleBards themselves and it’s lovely to feel part of something wholesome and organic: it’s clear that though a renowned and fully-fledged company, the HandleBards are still mucking in with all aspects of their show, from stewarding to stage set-up (though no doubt there is a dedicated team supporting them). Though all the safety precautions are adhered to – including no more infamous picnic stealing (luckily for me and my Kinder Bueno) – refreshingly, the play itself contains no lockdown references, no toilet paper gags, and no pandemic buzzwords. Despite having seen some interesting pieces of art and media exploring the crisis, it’s actually blissful to just have 80 minutes of pure fun and escapism.
A masked masque: Tom Dixon, Lucy Green and Paul Moss. Image: Rah Petherbridge
That said, one allowance is made for when Juliet (Lucy Green) runs to Friar Laurence’s gaff – the route being the long perimeter of the socially-distanced audience – where she complains ‘It’s much farther than usual!’. But apart from that, almost everything else is the usual HandleBards affair, featuring their classic conventions like repurposing bike equipment (tyre pumps become swords and pannier straps secure the stage), slow-motion fights, rapid character swapping, and their signature humorous, high-energy cavorting.
With just three actors, the troupe play multiple roles, often using just a wig held by an extended arm as a stand-in when more than three bodies are required in one scene, demonstrating clever choreography by director, Nel Crouch. To avoid confusion, the audience are helped to distinguish between characters through exaggerated accents, colour coded costumes bearing big ‘C’s and ‘M’s to denote house loyalties, and bike bells attached to each performer’s finger, which ding periodically to signal a character switch.
Juliet (Lucy Green) on her balcony, the Nurse (Tom Dixon) and musical accompaniment from Paul Moss
The characterisation in the production is suitably overblown for a tragedy turned comedy: Juliet (Green) swings from silly and girlish to teenage tearaway, screaming at her mother that she “come[s] anon!”, while Romeo (Moss) is a typical Northern sixth former with backwards cap and denim jacket. The emphasis on the lovers’ young age pokes fun at Shakespeare and allows for an amusingly melodramatic death scene, after which the pair get up unceremoniously, announcing “We’ve gotta play the other characters…”. These include: Lady Capulet (Moss), a soprano-voiced snob; Mercutio (Dixon), a Scouse mad lad; and Friar Laurence (Moss), re-imagined as a monk-cum-ninja with an accent one foot in Scotland and the other in the West Country, constantly dousing the hormonal teenagers with holy water. This is a Shakespearean retelling that certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously. But the audience favourite has got to be the Nurse (Dixon), with her comical stoop, heralding “alright”s, and senior moments, which culminate in her mistaking Juliet’s wedding ring for a jelly sweet and spitting it out with “Sorreh! Thought it wore a ‘aribo!”
Amongst the crazy antics and the hilarity, there is a tender moment between the eponymous tragic heroes when they first lament their love for one another: it’s created with just Shakespeare’s verse, four chords on a ukulele, and the natural accompaniment of the wind, which is a testament to the HandleBards’ ability to completely change lanes in both tone and pace before we’re back to more high jinks and tom foolery. Music also opens and closes the show, with stripped down vocal harmonies, as well as a funny interval song dedicated to an unfortunate front rower. The staging is equally stripped down: there isn’t exactly a set to speak of, only a raised platform, and costume changes are done simply with actors’ backs towards us (there’s isn’t time for anything else!). It feels unpretentious and transparent – a return to the bygone era of touring players entertaining the rural masses, and it’s all the richer for it.
The Handelbards in their fetching cycling socks
The HandleBard’s Romeo and Juliet is a pocket rocket – small but mighty – and its 80 minutes is jam-packed with more accents, more character changes, and more laughs than you can Shake a spear(e) at. It’s witty, fresh, and appears to be performed by a cast who genuinely love what they do. More than that though, this production facilitated a group of strangers coming together for a bit of fun on a patch of grass, just long enough to keep the rain off. And in these challenging times, it’s the perfect antidote, if only for a couple of hours.
If you too seek happy days to happy nights, Romeo and Juliet, and the HandleBards’ new children’s show, Gnora The Gnome’s Daytime Disco, tours across England (and the Netherlands!) until 19th September.
Eddie Ladd provided us with a virtual tour unlike any other. This captioned performance gave the audience an insight into Eddie’s childhood home and where she was residing for lockdown. By using a pre-recorded Zoom session, Eddie shared her screen as she looked back through images of her home, telling whimsical tales and allowing us to experience her nostalgia of her childhood with her.
Eddie sat in one corner of the screen, using the rest to direct us through her process of thoughts. By seeing her reactions to what was occurring on screen, the audience resonated with her and her experience of these events whilst still allowing us to create our own experiences of what was happening. She used layering of images in a stylistic way, much like how we would layer movement to create effect. A box of files also sat on the screen, organised by section into folders of Subheadings. This gave a very organic feel to the performance as was if she was flicking through her memories rather than watching a finished performance. By also using her dialect and country slang, all formalities of the performance were lost and hence it became a sharing, from one person to another.
The performance paralleled with Martin Parr’s exhibition “Martin Parr in Wales”. These snippets of images resonated with a sense of home and a resemblance to growing up on a farm (although mine was a sheep farm in Yorkshire). This is something I have never come across before. Through the familiarity of how ordinary farm life was and the niftiness of adaptations (using a soil filled bucket as a dumbbell), the piece really resonated with me and my lived experiences. It held truth and honesty about a simple life of living in the sticks, and especially highlighted how British farming has changed over the past decades and even more so the economic struggle of British Family farms today.
Not only did this resonate through farming life but also through the isolation of being in Lockdown and how it has affected our livelihoods as artists. The resilience needed to continue and adapt with the change happening all around us (and in Eddie’s case, with a fallen tree full of memories) was eminent as looked through past, present, and future obstacles. With comparative reflections of the events that occurred over time, Eddie used a mixture of light-hearted anecdotes and trivial props to provide a wonderfully human experience. This alongside the pulsating techno, carried us through a vast range of shared experiences whilst also gaining insight into Eddie’s creative process.
This piece was refreshing and an honest reminder of the beauty within simplicity and the importance of shared human experiences. And for that reminder, thank you Eddie, as it’s something we all need. Now more than ever.
In this exclusive interview, the Directors of The Far Away Plays Scott Arthur and Francesca Goodridge speak to Director of Get the Chance, Guy O’Donnell about their Welsh background, the work of The Far Away Plays and where they think funding for the Arts in Wales should be prioritised.
Hi great to meet you, can you give our readers some background information on yourself please?
Scott – Siwmae! Thanks for having us. So, I’m an actor and co-founder of The Far Away Plays. I originally hail from the Wild West of Wales, known to most as Llanelli, and graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2010. Since graduating I’ve been fortunate to be part of some wonderful projects in theatre, tv, film, and radio, most recently the TV series ‘Good Omens’ for BBC/Amazon which starred Michael Sheen and David Tennant, and alongside Shia LaBeouf in the film ‘Borg/McEnroe’.
Fran: I’m from Swansea, I originally trained as an actor and singer at LIPA and since then have worked as a director alongside performing. The first show I directed was an all female 60’s musical, which went to Edinburgh Fringe for two years, and then transferred to The Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. I was the Trainee Director of The Other Room Theatre in Cardiff, and I am now on of the first recipients of The Carne Trust’s 18-month Traineeship for Directors in Wales as the Trainee Director at Theatr Clwyd.
So what got you interested in acting and the arts?
Scott – School plays, local theatre, and any Robin Williams film. I used to go to the theatre quite a lot as a child, mainly to watch my uncle Greg who was a member of Llanelli Youth Theatre at the time, and then I finally plucked up the courage to join myself at the age of 13.
Fran: When I was a little girl my uncle would introduce me into the room whilst playing the spoons, I would hide behind the sofa, wait for my introduction and lap up the applause from my family, then run back behind the sofa and do it all over again (I can now imagine how annoying this was for everyone involved…) My uncle was the person who ignited my love for stories and really encouraged me to have a totally bonkers imagination.
Your new company The Far Away Plays is a new online play reading company, which champions Welsh voices. How did the new company develop and how does it work?
Scott: So, myself and Francesca initially had the idea to produce an online reading of Under Milk Wood, but then quickly discovered that the idea of creating a company which re-visited lot’s of brilliant contemporary Welsh plays, whilst at the same time championing Welsh voices to read them, seemed so much more worthwhile to put our energy in to. The Far Away Plays is an online play reading company that brings together a new company of actors and creatives every week to read some of Wales’ most loved plays, giving those involved a chance to be creative and stay connected during a time when our theatres and rehearsal rooms are off limits. We also host free, weekly workshops and Q&A’s with industry professionals too.
Image: BAFTA nominated Casting Director Lauren Evans (@laurendevans) The Far Away Q&A
Did the concept of the company exist in its current form prior to Lockdown or did you have to alter your plans? Was Lockdown an advantage for your company rather than a traditional playreading process?
Scott – The Far Away Plays wouldn’t exist without Lockdown. Without everyone being stuck inside their living rooms I doubt we’d have been able to bring such fantastic reading companies together – we’re incredibly lucky to have worked with some of the best talent Wales has to offer.
Fran: I wouldn’t say Lockdown was an advantage, but it did mean that actors were really needing a way to exercise their creativity, and that went hand in hand with our mission of wanting TFAP to connect and champion Welsh artists. We try and make it as much of a traditional play reading process as we can, with no pressure and just the joy that this is a one time opportunity to all be together, in that moment, with that story. You have had readings of existing plays by established playwrights as well as readings of work in development.
How do you decide on the plays to read and the creatives involved?
Scott: We just chatted a lot and created a list of the plays that we really wanted to hear again or in some cases for the first time. Actors and creatives have suggested plays too which always helps.
Katie Elin Salt
Matthew Trevannion
In terms of the work in development, I called Katie Elin Salt to see if she had anything that she’d written that we could have a read of, and luckily for us she had her insanely brilliant play ‘Splinter’ that hadn’t been touched for a few years, so we jumped at the chance to workshop it and give it another life. And in Matthew Trevannions case, we approached him as we wanted to read his play ‘Bruised’, but luckily for us he really wanted us to host a reading of his brand new play ‘Lyrics to a Birdsong’ instead. It was our 2nd new play reading in just under a month – we couldn’t have felt more lucky that the likes of Matthew and Katie trusted us to help them develop their works.
The Lyrics to a Birdsong reading by Matthew Trevannion.
Fran: There are playwrights that both of us love and admire, so there’s the obvious plays- but we try to have a new playwright every week and so far haven’t done more than one reading of the same playwright yet! Myself and Scott discuss the plays, but a lot of it comes from emails from creatives wanting to get involved, and the plays they suggest! We have a huge database of actors/creatives and the plays they suggest- once we start to see the same play crop up, we know we have to do that one. We try to get a director on board for each reading as soon as we decide on the play, and we ask them to go through the database of actors to see who is best to read what roles. We try to include both graduates and experienced actors together. We also encourage playwrights to get in touch if they have new work they want to hear out loud, or work on over a few weeks with actors. It’s so important to keep making new work, even when right now it feels like we’re far away from putting it on, we have to keep making!
The reading of ‘Pan Ddaw’r Byd i Ben’ by Daf James
Scott you put a call out on Twitter in the early stages of the project for suggestions for Welsh Plays. What sort of response did you get?
I had over 90 different play suggestions. They’re all in our database now, and hopefully we can revisit them all at some point.
The play readings have been hugely successful, with real interest from the theatrical community. The readings can’t be accessed by the public and are invite only. Is it possible to say why this is and do you have any plans for an online audience to be able to attend?
Fran: We’ve been asked this a lot, and we would love to allow everyone who wanted access to watch each reading. However, we’re both working for free on this project, and so the actors and creatives are very generously giving their time for free too. We don’t feel like it’s right to ask the actors to “perform” for anyone other than for themselves without payment at the moment. The purpose is to allow them a place to flex their creative muscles, without any pressure of a performance. Like an athlete attending the gym! Obviously we would love to then have a separate strand that paid actors and creatives for their time, and allowed the reading to be open to the public- we’re actively trying to seek funding for this, so fingers crossed, because it would be great to open some of these amazing play readings up and more importantly pay people for their incredible talents!
https://twitter.com/i/status/1277200198071132161
What response have you had from the sector and what are your future plans for the company?
Scott – One thing we can’t have any complaints about is the love and generosity that’s been shown to us from the off. Artists like Adele Thomas, Tim Price, Tamara Harvey, Trystan Gravelle, Catherine Paskell, Daf James, Rebecca Jade Hammond, Julia Thomas, Gary Owen, and Matthew Bulgo to name a few, have all given us their invaluable advice.
The immediate future plan is to keep on doing more readings and workshops. Long term, who knows. Personally, I’d like the company to evolve and for us to one day produce a production. There’s a huge lack of revivals in Wales, so we think we could happily fill that gap in a similar vein. Another idea of ours is for ‘The Far Away Plays Festival’. A long weekend in Cardiff with a whole load of play readings, workshops/Q&As, and a good old knees up with everyone.
Fran: The response we’ve had has been like nothing either of us could have imagined. It’s a huge testament to how much creatives are itching to flex their muscles and surround themselves with other creative minds. The readings are wonderful, but for me, seeing a “room” full of artists discussing the play afterwards always gives me goosebumps- those creative conversations are the thing I miss most (and the banter! You cant beat a room full of Welsh people… ) We plan to continue these readings for as long as people need them.
If you had to be put on the spot what are your favourite Welsh plays from the last decade?
Scott – Violence and Son/Iphigenia in Splott both by Gary Owen, Grav by Owen Thomas, Bird by Katherine Chandler, Pan Ddaw’r Byd i Ben by Daf James.
Fran: All of the above, I properly loved the most recent reading we did of Daf James’ play Pan Draw’r Byd i Ben, and also Emily White’s Pavilion will always be a really special one for me. But a play I’ve always loved is Salt, Root & Roe by Tim Price. I’m also really excited by new Welsh playwrights right now, I’m working with Rhys Warrington on a new play of his, plus we’ve been lucky enough to read new plays by Matthew Trevannion, Kristian Phillips, Katie-Elin Salt… we have so much talent in Wales, and so many incredible stories to tell.
If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?
Scott: Wales has so many amazing theatres all across the country that hardly get used to showcase Welsh work with Welsh actors and creatives at the heart of it, so I’d love more money to be pumped into making sure that plays are toured more. I’m also unashamedly a huge fan of big scale productions – so more of those please!
Fran: The programme I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in is supported by The Carne Trust and Theatr Clwyd. It allows two directors to work at Theatr Clwyd for 18 months, assist on the productions, to work in every department in the theatre which is a truly unique type of Artistic Director traineeship where you get to see exactly how a building is run and operates. As well as that, at the end of the 18 months, you get the change to direct your own show at Theatr Clwyd. This kind of opportunity is few and far between and I’m incredibly grateful to Tamara Harvey and Philip and Chris Carne for providing it. I’d love there to be more possibilities like this for directors, to be able to attach themselves to an organisation or even a mentor for a longer period of time to allow their creative development. Working as an assistant director is great, and provides a lot of experience, but from being attached to a building I’m gaining so much more than just my ability as a director.
What excites you about the arts in Wales? What was the last really great thing that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?
Scott: We have an insane amount of talent at our disposal in Wales. The possibility of all the incredible productions that could happen in the future excites me the most. The last really great thing I experienced was being in a packed auditorium at The Sherman for On Bear Ridge by Ed Thomas. The buzz inside was something I’d not experienced in a long time, and seeing actors like Rhys Ifans and Raike Ayola on a Welsh stage is so important. It creates a huge dollop of aspiration all round.
Fran: I always get so excited about shows that come from Wales, we really do have such a unique ability to tell stories. Before lockdown, I was lucky enough to be the assistant director on a new musical by Seiriol Davies called Milky Peaks. Unfortunately lockdown landed on our first day of tech, so we never got to open the show at Theatr Clwyd (don’t worry we will!) so we asked the cast what they would like to do in that heartbreaking moment. They responded saying that they would like to sing the opening and closing number before we left, one last time. The amazing tech team did some epic live cueing to provide lights and sound, and the cast performed the numbers breathtakingly. In that moment I realised that artists are such resilient people and we have a deep, unabating need to tell stories, no matter the circumstances, and we always will.
During Lockdown a range of arts and third sector organisations and individuals are now working online or finding new ways to reach out to audiences. Have you seen any particularly good examples of this way of working that you would like to highlight?
Scott: I really loved listening to Dirty Protest’s Ritual plays online, and I thought The Sherman’s 10 monologues was a great project too. Any company that gives us theatre folk the sense of being creative and staying connected should be commended!
Fran: I’m probably one of the many, many people who have watched Hamilton on repeat since it was released, as well as the NT live productions. It’s not live theatre that we know, love and miss, but its something- and it’s brilliant. It’s allowing people to bring theatre into their homes, some who may not have been able to afford to go and see these shows originally, and it’s a great example of making theatre accessible for everyone. Gwennan Mair, who is director of Creative Engagement at Theatr Clwyd, and her amazing team is a brilliant example of how you can continue to reach audiences and more importantly communities during this time. They are still running online theatre workshops for hundreds of people weekly, including teaching elderly people how to use Zoom to they can keep connected to people, even if it is virtually!
“We need to ask ourselves how do we encourage the next generation of artists and creatives to strive and aim for the stars? A big factor in encouragement is inspiration. If they never see role models they can relate to win awards how are they ever encouraged to become the next Octavia Spencer or the next Steve McQueen.”
2 years ago I wrote that above quote
On Friday 28th June 2019 … Thousands of young boys and girls sat at home from their “cheap seats” and watched history play out.
They watched a 24 year old Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. headline The biggest music festival in the world. Or as many and most people know him by the name of Stormzy.
https://youtu.be/DxsjQ967kV8
The reason I start this article with that is because 2 years ago I wrote about Oprah being sat at home as a little girl in 1964 and watching history play out with Sidney Poitier winning an award and found herself inspired.
Now fast forward over 50 years and the exact same thing has happened.
There are little boys and girls who were either there like I was lucky enough to be, or at home watching, but either way were inspired to see a young Black British man on the biggest stage in the world and his talent and hard work got him to that position.
That inspiration is priceless. And that’s how we encourage the next generation to strive for bigger and better things.
By showing them what they can achieve.
Like I said 2 years ago “If opportunity is not given to people then how are we ever going to be in a position where we can showcase our talents?, be nominated for awards? and inspire our peers and the next generation?”
Stormzy, for example, got the opportunity to headline and smashed it out of Worthy Farm. His talent got him there, not the colour of his skin and that’s inspirational to everyone that can relate. Thats inspirational to all our peers and to the next generation who can watch that and believe that they can headline Glastonbury, Or perform or direct at the National Theatre or on Broadway, Or be on the front cover of GQ, Or play football for a premiership team, or be in the next avengers movie. Or be the next Stormzy or Oprah.
During Stormzy’s set he bought on Dave and Fredo to perform ‘Funky Friday’
He used his platform and his moment to give an opportunity to Dave and Fredo to perform on the pyramid stage and to experience that thrill and allow them to share in the moment.
Thats huge!
I say it all the time in conversations with friends, when running workshops or giving talks – If I’m winning then we’re all winning because I’m going to learn some new skills, new knowledge and make new networks etc which I can then relay back to others to allow them to bask in the new found knowledge and glory I have gained and vice versa.
If YOU are winning then we are all winning because you’re going to learn things that can only help benefit others journeys and careers.
To quote Denzel (as I always do) – “I’m not in this to compete, I’m in this to get better”
That night in June at Glasto, Stormzy was winning but he gave an opportunity for others to win as well.
That for me is on the Macro Level in Stormzy and Oprah and I’m going to bring it to the Micro Level of myself and Wales.
Back home in Wales the last 2 years have been a whirlwind (for me personally)
I’ve been given so many opportunities that have led to me:
I’ve had organisations like Literature Wales believe in me and my talent to help develop further works of mine.
I’ve been on TV (which for a kid from Hammond Drive is huge – Check out changing the narrative from 27 for more clarity)
I’ve been a part of a sold out show by the incredible Tin Shed Theatre again in my hometown.. bringing top class theatre to my doorstep (something I never had when I was growing up)
But again as I echoed 2 years ago the key word in ALL of that is opportunity.
They’ve given me the opportunity so i’m on the same page as other creatives and artists.
They gave me that opportunity to either sink or swim but it’s that chance that is so greatly needed. Without that chance, very few people can reach the potential that they have the ability to reach.
Without opportunity all that remains is an imbalanced and under-represented system where inspiration can’t flourish.
And without Inspiration many journeys won’t even start and many potentials never realised.
I can’t write this and act like opportunity hasn’t been present for me because it has but hard work and determination has been right along side it as I’ve built a career for the past 6 years.
The more I reflect on the past 2 years since writing that article the more I realise that it has been a good starting point in Wales where more of my peers and community are getting given opportunities and they’re smashing it outta the park everytime.
Alex Riley is breaking down barriers with her Mixed documentary and being a member on the above writing groups alongside myself and starring in smash hit TV like The Tuckers and End of the F***ing World
https://youtu.be/n5YtN7sWmEY
Mali-Ann Rees is killing it in the Tourist Trap alongside Leroy Brito.
Kyle Lima, like myself with The Riverfront has been made associate artist of HIS hometown theatre at The Sherman.
The reason I list these Kings and Queens is simply because like myself, 2 years ago they weren’t in the position that they are now.
Through hard work they’ve been given opportunities which they have consistently smashed.
So many young Welsh black and mixed race girls can turn on the tele and see Alex and Mali on their screens. Thats huge! because that’s inspirational. Thats showing them that it can be done and they can one day be in the same position as them.
Like Oprah did when she turned on the TV back five decades ago.
Youth who see Kyle and myself in Associate roles at their hometown theatres again can start to think that they too can achieve the same success. That those local buildings are for them as much as anyone else. They can start to aim for similar aspirations.
Once opportunity is given then all you’re judged on is your talent. It’s a level playing field where all it comes down to is you. BUT opportunity has to be given for the talent to shine.
So carry on giving opportunities to the talented individuals that warrant them and if you can’t find those talented individuals then seek them out. Because trust me theres plenty of them!
Talent comes in all shapes and sizes and we simply HAVE to find that and represent that.
We can’t afford to be lazy.
I guess what am I trying to say with all of this ….
Well simply put, I recently asked a close friend of mine to list White Welsh Published Playwrights and without hesitation they were able to list many amazing playwrights, many of whom I look up to myself and have helped paved the way for me BUT then I said now name me Black Welsh Published Playwrights and there was a pause as we both tried to think.
That pause is what has to change!
And that’s why I list the amazing individuals and there are so many more but in future when little welsh boys and girls of colour are talking about playwrights and writing that represents them and inspires them, they can think of Connor Allen, Alex Riley, Kyle Lima, Darragh Mortell, Taylor Edmonds, Durre Shahwar and so many more
There won’t be a pause.
Thats how we change the system and keep that encouragement for the next generation to follow in the footsteps that we lay before them. We must become the change that we seek. We must become the role models that we never had growing up.
Mentorship and role models are huge and so vital to development. It’s the work of them that lays solid foundations and blueprints down for the next generation to follow and build upon, so they can make a more equal and justified system and industry.
Opportunity is now being given and its a great and much needed starting point.
But we have to develop that starting point.
There is still more that can be done to make equality and inclusivity a more normalised thing within the arts.
Create more gate keepers, role models and mentors that relate to and represent the communities that make up Wales’ rich diverse culture and history.
According to Welsh Government Data only 6% of Wales is made up of “Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic” (not sure how much I believe that) but my point is that in a country that is predominantly white we need to make systems and industries that represent ALL walks of life. Even the 6%.
We are experiencing a real positive shift at the moment and this can only be fully realised through education and sacrifice of power and privilege.
I realise that the more I am improving and the more success I gain, the more power and privilege I am given. BUT with that power and privilege I am given, I can make a choice to share that.
Take my recent Literature Wales commission 27, I chose to give some of my commission to other artists to allow them the opportunity to have paid artistic work where one of the artists is still in high school, one is yet to graduate and another has only recently graduated. Now I don’t say that to be like “oh look at me” I say it simply because if I can do that then people in far bigger and more important positions than me can do that as well.
I know how important opportunity has been in getting me to the position I am in today so i’ll never shy away from offering opportunity to those coming up
J Cole says it brilliantly in Middle Child – “I’m dead in the middle of two generations I’m little bro and big bro all at once”
https://youtu.be/WILNIXZr2oc
It was only 5/6 years back that I myself was one of those artists looking for a chance and if it wasn’t for people taking a chance on me and believing in me well, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so its only fair that I give back where and when I can.
And if I can do that so can other organisations and institutions. I’m just one man with a modicum of influence. Imagine the potential if others with far more influence and power made the same approach that I have done.
Its about being courageous and then we will see some positive changes. Changes that are generational. That can have an impact for future generations.
Every single role model/person that we look up to, started off exactly like us. As people learning and working to get better.
Yes, many of my community are angry, upset, confused and more at the moment. And its the likes of role models on a global and local level that will maintain the inspiration and development of the next generation. If we don’t see ourselves and our representation then how are we meant to be engaged and inspired to be the next generation of role models and trend setters.
It’s cyclical.
In these dark times we must never forget our own power, our own talent, our own strength.
It’s only in the darkest of times that we can see the light.
And even though opportunities are becoming more and hopefully more of the younger generation are finding hope and inspiration in looking at the current generation of us achieving success we have to strive for more.
Opportunity is just the planting of the seeds, For real fruition we have to see representation in all forms, from all walks of lives showcased throughout the arts and throughout all sectors.
We live in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic world where all forms of race, gender, sexuality, disability and more are ripe and without positive and sustained change then we run the risk of an industry not embracing that and not showcasing every form of the human condition.
Art is a reflection of life, in ALL its forms.
Real collective change can only be made when representation is across all levels of infrastructure.
Jên gave the presentation below as a part of the recent Zoom Participation Meetings. This meeting was supported by Art Works Cymru, NDCWales and Tanio. Thanks to Jên for sharing her statement.
Cyflwyniad Presentation: Participatory Arts: Thinking Beyond Lockdown – Community Arts.18/06/2020
Bore da… good morning! Jên Angharad ydw i… I’m Jên Angharad… a year into my current post as prifweithredwr… CEO with a wonderful organisation that is Artis Gymuned – Artis Community.
Cyn i mi ddechre… before I begin… hoffwn jesd diolch i Guy, Lisa a’r partneriaeth, sy’ ‘di gwneud y sgyrsiau ‘ma’n bosib… ac am fy ngwahodd fel un o’r siaradwyr… I’d just like to say a big thank you to Guy, to Lisa and the partnership, that has made these discussions possible… and for inviting me to contribute as one of the speakers…. Diolch o galon!
So here we go…. Yn meddwl tu hwnt i lockdown… Thinking Beyond Lockdown … catapulting between what was…. what is … and what MIGHT be… at a time projecting into a future that is still unknown! Sounds like a dance improvisation to me!
I’m not going to talk about the work that Artis did before lockdown, (perhaps you can visit the website if you want to know more about that – https://artiscommunity.org.uk) because beyond lockdown is of course, about our futures… the future of us… as creative, cultural organisations, of independent artists… the future of us as a practice… and the future of us as a community of practice that includes the people who we are building relationships with and people who we’ve yet to have the privilege of meeting, making and growing with…
A future that sits within a broader arts ecology, currently in crisis.
Mae ‘na fwy o gwestiynnau nag atebion… There are many more questions, than answers and so, I asked the Artis team and board, what are the questions they are asking about our future as an organisation and as part of a national practice beyond lockdown and I’m focusing this reflection on just some of the many questions they’ve shared with me!
So this is a collective effort that we can continue to explore further with our communities.
The first question is a big one! It asks for thoughts on how the community arts sector might navigate its way out of lockdown? This is probably a question many of us are trying to answer!
When we consider community arts as a sector, currently capsuled into zoom boxes and flat screens, I think navigation requires kindness, it requires us to take good care of our health and wellbeing and to support our colleagues and friends, so that we are then able to maintain good connections and support as best we can, the people in our communities who make and feed our collective creative practice.
Then I like to think that we can draw strength from being a community of practice that holds a common unity locally, regionally and nationally, we are after all a people practice. We are a community of improvisers, planners, dreamers, strategists, collaborators, communicators and engagers and isn’t it fantastic when we come together to share concerns, find solutions to puzzles and celebrate successes! Conversation platforms like this one are providing a space to reflect, share and learn… connecting, re-connecting and I hope, strengthening our collective knowledge, practice and passion into the future. The more we do this, the more we can feed a shared understanding and form a united voice, which I’m sure we can all agree, is needed if we are to convince the Westminster government, that the social and economic value of community and participatory arts, is crucial to the wellbeing of our both our current and future generations.
The next question asks… What impact can we have now, in the next few months and further ahead into the future?
In Artis we’re learning through the stories of current lived experiences that in as much as it can never replace social 3 dimensional gatherings and interaction, we are making some difference to people who are engaging in our current digital, local doorstep drop offs, telephone conversations and posted activities… for some living in isolation and without access to digital technology, the non-digital activities provide a crucial connection with the outside world and that of their own imaginations.
Our digital activity has had a surprising impact, I think mostly on our own thinking about the possibilities that digital engagement can create!
The main driver for this development was an urgency…. a concern about how, during lockdown, we could possibly maintain a connection with the people who regularly take part in activities.
Refocusing practice into a digital domain is time-consuming work, but it’s worth it in terms of connecting people during social distancing, it means we can continue to employ freelance artists and we’re learning new skills!
But, if we are to survive beyond lockdown, we face an even bigger challenge and that is to add our voices to the voices of Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Government in influencing the thinking of the Westminster government… to call them to understand the need for and the benefits of, locally driven community and participatory arts experience… on health & wellbeing, on learning, on skill development, on identity, on our sense of place in this world, on our environment and on the economy and regeneration of communities. [These are] Community and participatory arts practices and experiences that are priceless and can be life changing.
Efallai mwy nag erioed… We now need perhaps more than ever, financial investment in the arts, and importantly, not just in the larger organisations, but in smaller companies and charities and independent artists who do incredible work in and with communities of people who can otherwise be invisible and feel the weight of injustices, amazing people who are entitled, after all, to explore a world of imagination, creativity and growth.
I attended an ArtWorks Cymru partners meeting yesterday to discuss the Parliamentary Committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s call for evidence, of the impact of Covid-19 on DCMS sectors… the deadline is Friday – that’s tomorrow! ArtWorks Cymru is drafting a national response and if we can, as organisations and individuals also submit responses, however small, our national voice – our sector voice can be louder. Our immediate challenge is to convince the current powers that be, of our relevance.
Projecting forward… Beth yw’r heriau… What are the challenges of facing a new and different future?
There are undoubtedly big challenges ahead, not only in the practicalities of coming out of lockdown, and transitioning into choreographed… physical… social… spaces, but also in how we approach this… mindful that social distancing, isolation, ill-health and grief will have impacted individuals in many ways and require sensitive approaches to re-engagement.
Lockdown has unearthed the ugly truths about inequalities and injustices in our society and in as much as the Artis vision is well intentioned, we, as an organisation need to question what we mean when we say:
Mae ein gwaith yn ceisio creu lle i bawb
I brofi rhyddid mewn creadigrwydd a grym i ddarganfod gwychder mewn dathliad o fynegiant artistig.
Our work seeks to create space where all people
find freedom in creativity and are empowered to discover great moments in a celebration of artistic expression.
If we truly mean ‘pawb’ … ‘all people’, then we must proactively change our focus towards areas and cultures we are failing to reach in the South Wales Valleys. We know that we can’t do this alone. We need to work together with organisations and individuals to achieve this.
The unknown is perhaps, for most of us an uncomfortable prospect. But I think if we look to our community and participatory practices, that are by their very nature, improvised, uncertain, adventurous, unexpected… we can remind ourselves, that we can call on these same resources to propel us forward into the unknown, knowing that our collective creativity and resilience will see us through.
Dominic Dromgoole’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is just that: dreamy. It has everything you could want from a woodland romp – gorgeous costumes, plenty of gags and superb acting, but is never cliché, nor rests on the Globe’s laurels.
The Fairy Queen (Michelle Terry) and her followers. Image: Alastair Muir
This production uses both Elizabethan staging and costumes though you’d be mistaken to think it fusty: John Light’s Oberon and Matthew Tennyson’s Puck both bare their chests, while Michelle Terry as Titania skips about in a fur pelt skirt that looks straight off a runway. The fairies’ costumes are also stripped down; trousers and corsets are embellished with natural materials like twigs and mud, as well as animal features such as feathers and stag horns. Delicate winged creatures these fairies are not. Instead, they snarl and shriek like a wild chorus, adding an element of danger to the forest scenes. Their bestial and androgynous clothing contrasts heavily with the pristine, stiffly laced, and heavily gendered garments of the humans in the Athenian court. But when the four young Athenian lovers get lost in the woods, they gradually become more uncivilised and less dressed, which makes for an interesting crash course on the various layers of Renaissance garb.
The lovers a little worse for wear – well, ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’. Image: John Haynes
The set design by Jonathan Fenson is pleasingly simple: the existing polished brown wood and red ‘marble’ arches of the Globe suit the pomp of the court scenes, and these earthy tones, when coupled with foliage and green tapestry curtains, equally complement the autumnal imagining of the forest scenes. As an outdoor venue, staging Midsummer at the Globe is always a special experience, but the rejection of the usual floral, sunny features is a welcome change and actually matches the overcast day of recording rather well. Opting for a darker, cruder design captures the more mysterious and animalistic themes of magic and lust within the play.
The opening of the production begins uniquely with a dance sequence reflecting a battle between male swordsmen and female archers, in which Hippolyta is bested and won as a war trophy wife. This completely alters the meaning of the first lines between King Theseus and his new bride. They are not a lovesick couple longing for their wedding day but a growling Lord and his bitter captive (both roles played brilliantly with seething venom by Light and Terry). This patriarchal tyranny informs the next shocking scene where Hermia’s father reminds his daughter that the penalty for disobeying him is death. In the forest, we learn there is also trouble in paradise where the tension is mirrored between the fairy king and queen; themes of misogyny are not brushed under the woodland carpet and the threat of violence lingers here too. When the young lovers enter the realm however, things do take a turn for the ‘fancy free’. In this version, the line ‘What fools these mortals be’ rings true as the lovers are played less seriously – a valid interpretation for me, as Shakespeare’s device of having them ultimately wake up and fall in love with the ‘correct’ person is a silly notion in the first place. All young actors give accomplished performances, Hermia (Oliva Ross) and Helena (Sarah Macrae) as headstrong women and Lysander (Luke Thompson) and Demetrius (Joshua Silver) as hapless posh boys.
All is not well in Fairyland: Oberon (John Light) threatens Titania (Michelle Terry). Image: Alastair Muir
Stand out performances also come from Michelle Terry, the Globe’s current artistic director, whose Titania is just as haughty as her Hippolyta, though more full of the joys of spring – or summer. John Light adopts a husky Irish accent for his Oberon and his ultra-masculine portrayal contrasts with Matthew Tennyson’s boyish Puck. The pair makes a great duo, employing Sian Williams’ tactile choreography – the use of gymnastics and swinging ropes also bring out the production’s playfulness. The tactility flows into romance: everyone, regardless of gender or species, seems to be getting it on in this production.
Oberon (John Light) is enamoured with his protégé Puck (Matthew Tennyson). Image: Alastair
It’s Bottom, however, who steals the show; Pearce Quigley is a comic genius, his Salford accent thicker than gravy with cheesy chips and his performance raises belly laughs from the audience. The comedy is ramped up with the Mechanicals, a usual audience favourite, who certainly don’t disappoint here. The infamous roll call is blocked clearly and each actor’s intonation allows us to fully understand the dialogue. Though the Mechanicals’ questionable acting skills mean they shouldn’t give up their day jobs, director Dromgoole adds yet another trade to the craftmen’s collective wheelhouse – clog dancing. Bottom the Weaver and Peter Quince (a brilliant Fergal McElherron) clash fantastically; Bottom undermines micro-managing Peter (‘Peter?’) through constantly interrupting and forgetting Peter’s name, but the rivalry is ultimately settled with a ‘clog off’, where Peter whips out a delightfully anachronistic moon walk.
‘Take pains. Be perfect.’ The rude Mechanicals celebrate their play’s commission. Image: Alastair Muir
The play within a play brings the comedy to a crescendo and is a great reward for the near 3 hour runtime, though this production is definitely no chore to watch. ‘Director’-cum-‘narrator’ Peter is in his element and his campy, over-bearing manner wouldn’t be out of place in any am-dram rehearsal room. Under his direction, the misguided players bring out a pop-up replica of the Globe itself, which is wonky and requires periodic mending by Snug (an understated Edward Peel), regardless of whether the sound of hammering and the piggybacking of actors is a tad distracting to both ‘players’ and their courtly audience. Things only get worse (or rather, better) when Wall’s (Tom Lawrence) huge costume threatens to eclipse the entire structure and his ‘crannied hole’ is set in a very unfortunate place. ‘Beauteous’ Thisbe (Christopher Logan) provides no respite to this theatre of the absurd as her portrait is visually terrifying, all garish face paint and huge hooped skirt which upturns in her death scene, though this is too drawn out and the audience’s laughter drops off a little. Despite the otherwise successfully overblown actions and slapstick tone, these elements are contrasted with many pregnant pauses, subtle glances and small gestures, all timed perfectly to alter the pace and heighten the comedy. As the play in miniature and play proper draw to a close, the cast have us eating out of the palm of their hands.
The tragic tale of Pyramus and ‘Thingy’ (Christoper Logan and Pearce Quigley). Image: Alastair Muir
The live music, composed by Claire Van Kampen, is sparse but used to good effect: the traditional fanfare frames the opening sequence, and periodic drums and strings create an eerie atmosphere to signify the faeries’ arrivals. The accompanying wordless singing is unearthly and a perfect fit; as such, it also closes the show with a final masque, categorising this production as both beautiful and haunting.
With innovative interpretation, visual flair and real comic wit, the Globe’s 2013 performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is, dare I say, the best version I’ve ever seen. Acapella vocals and traditional yet naturalistic costume take Shakespeare’s deceptively dark comedy back to its roots, but in doing so, breathe fresh life into it. It’s passionate, stirring, and above all, funny – they must have taken Bottom’s plea to heart and took pains – for it was perfect.
The ensemble in the closing masque. Image: Alastair Muir
In this exclusive interview Welsh actress Michelle McTernan spoke to Director of Get the Chance, Guy O’Donnell about her training in Wales, the work of Rising Stars Theatre Company and where she thinks funding for the Arts in Wales should be prioritised.
Hi Michele great to meet you, so what got you interested in the arts?
I was 8 years old and my dad took me to see ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ at The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow. I was amazed. I found myself not so much engrossed with the story but with the whole experience. I wanted to be on the stage acting, I wanted to be the one to make others feel what I was feeling.
Later at 15 I auditioned for West Glamorgan Youth Theatre which had a profound effect on me. It helped develop an appreciation of the arts. It instilled a sense of discipline, character and respect. As well as being fun it also created new friendships some of which I still have to this day.
I got into The National Youth Theatre Company and that sealed it for me. I wanted to be an actress.
During Lockdown Rising Stars Theatre Company have launched a new book called “How do you get a Rainbow in your heart when its in the sky?” I believe you launched during Mental Health Awareness Week. Mental Health is a huge issue during Lockdown, can you tell me more about the book and your intentions for it?
It is such a beautiful book and we are so proud of it. The book was born out of a zoom session where we asked the students to give us words associated with Rainbows. One of the students asked “How do you get a rainbow in your heart when it’s in the sky?” This felt so profound to me. It was although he had said “How do we find hope when it feels so far away?”. I just thought that that was how many children and those with disabilities were feeling right now. So we sent out a task to put the words into a sentence or a story. One of our volunteers wrote the story and another illustrated it. We’re lucky to have such talent. We then had it printed and decided that it would be free to school hubs, food banks, Women’s Aid group and all minority groups.
We have just had it translated into welsh and are currently having more printed. We also have an online version which is fully accessible and will be launched in July. To date 2000 books have been distributed and not just in Wales, the books have gone to Italy, New Zealand and Australia. The response has been incredible.
https://youtu.be/GcGvJgV47tc
During Lockdown a range of arts organisations and individuals are now working online or finding new ways to reach out to audiences. Have you seen any particularly good examples of this way of working?
We’re all looking for new ways to communicate and connect with others. I’ve been involved with lots of friend/ family quizzes, zoom webinars, chats and discussions about the arts I was part of a live zoom production where we had 2 rehearsals, a tech and then went Live to a paying audience of 200 people. It worked but was so alien.
One thing I’m happy to see is The Far Away Plays set up by Fran Goodridge and Scott Arthur. It’s a new online platform for reading both established and new plays. It allows actors, directors and creatives to keep their minds focused on what they do best and at the same time networking and seeing who else is out there.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1277200198071132161
Work is scarce at the moment but I’m lucky to be involved with Hijinx Theatre Company and have taught some zoom classes and set tasks to keep everyone busy during this time. Also at Hijinx, we’re working on an R&D for later in the summer. The process is strange and different but we are making it fun by setting games, doing breakout rooms and using what we have around us to create ideas for the production.
If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?
I’d like to see more funding for creative arts within schools and bring back drama departments to those schools who have lost them. We need to invest in the next generation of theatregoers.. Teachers should be encouraged to bring their students to the theatres and more funding would that possible. I would also like to see more investment into making theatre for actresses over 40s.
What excites you about the Arts in Wales?
The quality of new writing within Wales right now is incredible. In fact I’ll go as far to say that we are leading the way in that respect.
What was the last really great thing that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?
The last show I saw in a theatre was my husband in Pantomime. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at The Regent Theatre in Stoke on Trent. The sheer joy that Panto brings to families and audiences is extraordinary. For some it’s their first experience of being in a theatre, the lights, the atmosphere, the buzz of the people getting to their seats, the actors talking to you, singing along and dancing in the aisles. It’s an absolute explosion of everything that makes going to the theatre an experience and that feeling will last forever. I hope we get to have our fix soon…I miss it.
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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