Review, Imrie, A Sherman/Fran Wen co-production, at Theatr Clwyd, by Gareth Williams

What is striking about Welsh play Imrie is its richness. Rich in language. Rich in description. Rich in lighting. Rich in characterisation. This coming-of-age story is like a rainbow bursting into life, pouring its colour out on stage with a vibrancy that reverberates throughout the whole production. Each element resembles a charged particle which, in … Continue reading Review, Imrie, A Sherman/Fran Wen co-production, at Theatr Clwyd, by Gareth Williams

Polar Night, Jodie Marie, by Gareth Williams

Three weeks in the Arctic Circle has certainly left its mark on Jodie Marie. The Welsh singer-songwriter’s new EP shivers with the cold fjord breeze and echoes the icy terrain of Norway’s northern tip. Yet there is also a log-fire intimacy and crunching of soft snow in its sound. It evokes a wild landscape of … Continue reading Polar Night, Jodie Marie, by Gareth Williams

Review Heathers the Musical, Theatr Clwyd By Donna Williams

Following two hugely successful seasons in London’s West End and a WhatsOnStage award for Best New Musical, Heathers is back for a new UK and Ireland tour this year. Music, lyrics and book by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, this high octane, dark-comedy, smash-hit is based on the 1989 cult movie of the same name, … Continue reading Review Heathers the Musical, Theatr Clwyd By Donna Williams

Review, Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse, by Gareth Williams

To see the Wales-based play Trouble in Butetown performed on a London stage was a tantalising experience. This was a rare example of accent and language reverberating around a place not situated within the confines of its nation. To hear Welsh being spoken miles from home in front of a multicultural audience where English was … Continue reading Review, Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse, by Gareth Williams

Review Edith, Crowded Room, Theatr Clwyd by Donna Williams

In December 1922, twenty-eight-year-old Edith Thompson was put on trial for inciting the murder of her husband, Percy Thompson. Just two months earlier, twenty-year-old Frederick Bywaters had stabbed Percy as he walked home. The prosecution claimed Edith told him to do it, using love letters sent to Frederick from Edith as evidence. Edith was found … Continue reading Review Edith, Crowded Room, Theatr Clwyd by Donna Williams

Review, Y Sŵn, a Swnllyd/Joio/S4C film, by Gareth Williams

What a fascinating film Y Sŵn is. No sooner has its writer, Roger Williams, struck gold with cult horror Y Gwledd than his Midas touch turns to the marking of forty years of S4C with this: a striking production that is as offbeat and realist, telling the story of how the Welsh TV channel came … Continue reading Review, Y Sŵn, a Swnllyd/Joio/S4C film, by Gareth Williams

Review The Shawshank Redemption, Theatr Clwyd by Donna Williams

Just over a year ago, I attended The Da Vinci Code at Theatr Clwyd. Although I enjoyed this production, I felt that the book simply didn’t translate well to the stage, mainly due to the amount of detail included in the plot which there just wasn’t time to delve into in two hours. However, the … Continue reading Review The Shawshank Redemption, Theatr Clwyd by Donna Williams

Review, Dal y Mellt, Episode One, Vox Pictures for S4C, by Gareth Williams

It could be that Dal y Mellt is S4C’s most ambitious drama to date. Episode one certainly promised much from a series that looks set to deliver. Adapted from the hit novel by Iwan ‘Iwcs’ Roberts, the narrative weaves mystery, comedy and crime seamlessly to create a world that is universally recognisable whilst being inherently … Continue reading Review, Dal y Mellt, Episode One, Vox Pictures for S4C, by Gareth Williams

Review The Crooners, Theatr Clwyd By Donna Williams

Being a regular visitor of Theatr Clwyd and knowing that most of their shows sell out, especially one nighters such as this, it was disappointing to see the auditorium not even half full for this performance. The surge over the winter months of the Omicron variant coupled with the fact that a production paying homage … Continue reading Review The Crooners, Theatr Clwyd By Donna Williams

Review Black Box’s Murder Under the Mistletoe at Theatr Clwyd by Donna Williams

Black Box Events, set up by Denbigh born Mark Hughes, specialise in unique events and entertainment across North Wales. Since its creation in 2019, the company have provided a variety of successful events across a number of different venues in the region. Mark initially started hosting murder mystery events back in 2017 as fundraisers for … Continue reading Review Black Box’s Murder Under the Mistletoe at Theatr Clwyd by Donna Williams