“I’m gonna tell you a story. Well, three stories. One life. Mine.”

Best known for Sex Education, Conor Clarke McGrath is back on home turf in Cardiff with Play, which premieres at Porter’s, a vibrant, community-run venue at the heart of Cardiff’s creative scene.

Conor Clarke McGrath took on quite the challenge when he wrote his hour-long play, Play. He played all nine characters himself, including Nicky Flood, a troubled nightclub owner whose life unravels almost as quickly as his business. The play explores mental health, alcoholism, and death, and the complicated nature of human relationships, following Nicky and his desperate attempt to save his club, his brother Richie’s return and subsequent arrest, and his complicated relationship with Petra, his love interest. It’s fair to say Nicky has a lot on his plate, and none of it looks particularly easy to digest.

McGrath plays all the main roles himself, switching between Nicky and Petra, Will, who works at the club, Nicky’s mum, his housemate, and his accountant—and that’s not even the full list.

McGrath’s journey into theatre took him to École Philippe Gaulier in France, where he explored acting, clowning and comedy before moving into stand-up. After relocating to Dublin, he channelled his experiences into writing Play, bringing together the absurdities of everyday life with its more painful truths. It’s a demanding task, although at least he doesn’t have to worry about anyone else forgetting their lines.

What makes Play particularly interesting is its willingness to tackle difficult subjects without losing its sense of humour. His message is a simple but important one: life can take an unexpected turn for any of us, and nobody has everything as under control as they might like to think.

There is something refreshing about using humour to explore subjects that can be uncomfortable to talk about. Sometimes we laugh because something is funny; sometimes it’s because the truth is a little too close to home. Play seems to make room for both, finding the comedy in life’s messiness without losing sight of the people caught up in it.

(3 / 5)

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is a philosophical fiction and Gothic horror novel, first published in 1890. The only novel written by Wilde, it is widely regarded as a classic of both Gothic and English literature and has been adapted numerous times for the stage and screen. With its exploration of beauty, morality, vanity and the consequences of a life devoted to pleasure, it is a story that remains as relevant today as it was in Victorian England.

The story centres around the impossibly beautiful Dorian Gray, whose portrait is painted by artist Basil Hallward, a man captivated by his young subject. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, an aristocrat whose hedonistic philosophy soon takes hold of him. Lord Henry believes that beauty and sensual pleasure are life’s greatest gifts, and Dorian becomes increasingly preoccupied with the thought that his own beauty will inevitably fade with age. In a moment of reckless desire, he wishes that the portrait would age in his place, allowing him to remain forever young. His wish is granted, and whilst Dorian continues to look as beautiful as ever, the portrait becomes a disturbing reflection of his increasingly immoral life.

There is no denying the appeal of Wilde’s writing, and much of the fun and wit of the original text shines through in this production. The dialogue is sharp, clever and frequently very funny, with the kind of observations about human nature that make Wilde’s work so enduring. This is particularly evident in the character of Lord Henry Wotton, played by Mark Hawkins, who delivers a truly standout performance. Full of energy, charisma and confidence, Hawkins lights up the stage every time he appears. His delivery captures the character’s mischievous charm and devilish wit, making him a real highlight of the evening.

Mark Oxtoby also deserves praise for his portrayal of Basil Hallward. There is a tenderness and gentleness to his performance that makes Basil a sympathetic character, particularly in contrast to Lord Henry’s more cynical outlook on life. The supporting cast are excellent too, contributing to a production that certainly has its moments.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely convinced by Jack Crumlin as Dorian Gray himself. Given that the entire story hinges on Dorian’s extraordinary beauty and the effect it has on those around him, casting is particularly important. Much like the casting of Helen of Troy, the character needs to possess that almost mythical quality of beauty that makes the audience understand why others become so captivated by him. Whilst Crumlin gives a perfectly respectable performance, I felt that he lacked some of the charm and magnetism required to make Dorian truly convincing. This is no easy role to take on, of course, but I wanted to feel more of the character’s irresistible allure.

The set is simple but effective, featuring a large, dirty-looking mirrored backdrop that creates an appropriately unsettling atmosphere. The mirrors are particularly fitting for a story so concerned with vanity, self-image and the distinction between how we appear to the world and who we really are. However, I felt that the production missed an opportunity with the portrait itself. The lack of obvious effects meant that the transformation of Dorian’s portrait wasn’t particularly clear. For those unfamiliar with Wilde’s story, this could make it difficult to appreciate the significance of the painting and the disturbing changes taking place as Dorian’s life becomes increasingly corrupt.

In terms of the costume design, this production seemed uncertain about which period it wanted to inhabit, with some characters appearing firmly rooted in the Victorian era whilst others looked distinctly more modern. Sybil’s sister, for example, appeared rather contemporary, whilst the servants wore modern black clothing with black ties, in contrast to the period costumes worn by the rest of the cast.

This inconsistency was distracting and took away from the overall impact of the production. Wilde’s story is a Gothic classic, and I wanted to be drawn into its dark, decadent world. Instead, the mixture of styles left me a little confused about the period in which the action was supposed to be taking place. A production doesn’t necessarily have to be historically accurate, of course, but I felt it needed to commit to a clear visual concept.

Sound and projection were another issue, with some dialogue difficult to hear, particularly at the beginning of Act One. This was frustrating, especially when experiencing Wilde’s wonderfully crafted dialogue is such an important part of enjoying the play. Having since seen a review of the production at a different venue which mentioned the same problem, it seems that this wasn’t an issue with the venue itself.

There is, nevertheless, something fascinating about the central premise of The Picture of Dorian Gray. In an 1894 letter, Wilde wrote:

“Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry, what the world thinks me; Dorian is what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps.”

Perhaps this is the key to the story’s enduring appeal. We can all recognise something of ourselves in these three characters. We all look in the mirror and see our own self-portrait, but how closely does that image reflect the person we really are? Who are we, who do we want to be, and how would we live our lives if we believed there would never be any consequences?

These are the questions that make Wilde’s novel such a compelling piece of literature, and they are what should make any stage adaptation of it so thought-provoking. Whilst this production has much to enjoy and is truly a quality piece of theatre, I felt that some of its creative choices prevented it from fully capturing the dark, unsettling beauty of Wilde’s original.

The Picture of Dorian Gray continues its UK Tour on November 3^rd at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Head to the website to book your tickets:

www.tiltedwigproductions.com/book-now

Cast:

Jack Crumlin as Dorian Gray

Mark Oxtoby as Basil Hallward

Mark Hawkins as Lord Henry Wotton

Lydia Whitehead as Sybil Vane & Hetty

Ayesha Griffiths as Catherine Vane & Dr Ellen Campbell

Lydea Perkins as Lady Victoria Wotton & Woman

Max Burnett as Romeo, Boy & Servant

Creatives: Adaptor & Director – Seán Aydon
Designer – Sarah Beaton
Lighting Designer – Peter Small
Sound Designer – Russell Ditchfield
Fight & Intimacy Coordinator – Kaitlin Howard
Costume Supervisor – Abigail Caywood
Stage Manager – Lydia Morgan
Company Stage Manager – Guy Dennys
Education Consultant – Sinead O’Callaghan
Press – Bright Media
Marketing – Rachel Veniard for Beth Nichols Marketing

(5 / 5)

Images Credit Kirsten McTernan

Please note this review features in-depth description of the plot

A Tidy Boy, starring Lynn Hunter as Ann, Oliver Jacob Davies as Geraint, Eiry Thomas as Sylvia, Geraint DeCarvalho as Kai and Kelsey Short as Kirsty, is a comedic and emotional play about differences in worldview, age, background, sexuality and self-awareness, set in a youth work project in Neath.

The set remained divided into three parts; the entrance to the building where the youth project was set and where project manager Sylvia worked, the main space where youth worker Geraint held his sessions with Kai, and the entrance with a sink and armchair where Kai lived with his girlfriend and mother of his two children, Kirsty. Ann would often come through the entrance downstage left, and she didn’t have an on-stage room in which she mainly occupied because she ran the workshop (which we didn’t see).

The play opens with Geraint being interviewed for a job. He is 22 years old and has been living in London, having gone to university, but has recently moved back home because his mum died. He has the qualifications to be a youth worker and he wants the job. Ann and Sylvia sit in the interview with Kai, pretending to be young people, and as part of his interview, he teaches them how to put on a condom using a banana. Of course the characters were laughing and making jokes themselves and it set the audience off. It was such an effective way to set the comedic tone right from the start and show the audience the themes that would be explored. I don’t think it’s hard to get an audience laughing when condoms are involved!

Geraint gets the job, and although the timeline between each scene may be slightly ambiguous, we can tell that the whole play spans a few months, maybe half a year (it’s not particularly relevant). We see his character grow from the relationships he has with Sylvia and Ann, and with Kai, and we see Kai grow with and away from Geraint.

Kai is 18, and he and his 25 year old girlfriend and their two children moved to Neath from London. He is a youth offender and doesn’t have qualifications, and takes part in this youth project, primarily working with Geraint. Because of their similarity in age, and perhaps their sexuality, even though their background and childhood seems entirely different, their relationship is interesting, and they both help each other become better, even though the highest emotional and dramatic point is when Kai does something to Geraint that they cannot come back from.

How Geraint and Kai impact each other is perhaps the most interesting part of the show, or maybe it’s the difference between Geraint and Ann’s approach to their jobs.

You see, Ann is 72, experienced in youth work, and she says what she wants to say without thinking about the repercussions or whether it’s offensive. She uses bribery and taunts to get the young offenders to do the work they’re supposed to do. Geraint is there to do the job ‘properly’ with modern training and he likes to follow the correct procedures and guidelines. The play wouldn’t be the same, nor would it be half as funny, without their clash of personalities. They butt heads several times, but by the end, you can see how both approaches are needed, although they both need to compromise, and how the system sometimes works against the people it’s supposed to protect.

Through Kai’s actions, by the end, where Geraint may have phoned the police and gone through the correct procedures if it had happened months ago, he recognised that the system may not help everyone involved. He became a better and more open person because of Ann and Kai, Ann became better because of Geraint, and Kai became better because of Geraint too. I love a play that explores humanity and clashes of personality, but in the end, the characters are better off because they have met the other characters.

The play explores issues surrounding sexuality and identity, personality, experience versus modernity, and not only does each character seem so fleshed out, but the comedy is perfect too, and adds to the emotional parts. Every aspect of the show is perfectly thought out.

A Tidy Boy is definitely the tidiest play I’ve seen for a while, and I’d recommend it to everyone!

From the best-selling 1959 novel by American horror writer Shirley Jackson to the hit 2018 Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House now comes to the stage in a gripping production full of mystery, technical trickery, and spooky suspense.

First adapted for the stage in 1964, Shirley Jackson’s chilling tale returns in a new production that brings Hill House to life (pardon the pun!). With an unsettling atmosphere and a steady undercurrent of tension, this latest adaptation keeps the audience guessing and on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Having never read the original novel, I was intrigued to see how this production would set itself apart from the many haunted house stories we know and love, and whether it could bring something fresh to a genre so familiar to audiences.

“A ghost can be a lot of things. A memory, a daydream, a secret, grief, anger, guilt.”

When a group of supernatural investigators (think TV show Ghost Hunters, but in the 50s!) set out to uncover the secrets of Hill House, their excitement and curiosity soon turn to fear as the house, or its previous inhabitants, start to communicate with its guests through a series of crashes, bangs, eerie wails and mysterious melodies (I will never again listen to Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree in quite the same way!)

The star of the show is undoubtedly the technical design. From projection mapping to lighting, sound design and illusions, every element creates the impression of a house that is constantly moving, with shifting walls and characters transitioning between rooms, floors, corridors, and staircases. A curtain becomes a narrow corridor; a doorway is concealed or transformed. It’s extremely impressive!

Alongside the lighting and video projections, the atmospheric soundscapes create a constant sense of unease. Even in the opening moments, we witness an abrupt blackout accompanied by an explosive sound, immediately unsettling the audience (cue plenty of nervous laughter!) Bulbs blow, blankets float in mid-air, menacing scrawls appear on walls, and a rocking horse rocks without a rider. There’s even the disquieting suggestion that the set changes themselves are the work of spirits!

“Things look and behave differently in the dark.”

The casting is superb, with every performer settling into their character from the very beginning. Praise must go to Clancy Ryan, who delivers a compelling portrayal of Eleanor’s gradual psychological unravelling. She captures the character’s newfound sense of freedom, deep-rooted insecurities, and desperate yearning for an identity with real sensitivity. Ryan is especially effective in conveying Eleanor’s conflicting feelings towards Hill House: her belief that it is haunted by her mother, alongside her growing conviction that it could finally be the home she has always longed for.

I’ve since discovered that the ending has been tweaked for this stage adaptation. Having yet to read the original novel, I cannot comment on the impact of these changes, but coming to the story fresh, I found this a thoroughly entertaining evening of spine-chilling theatre. Thoughtfully staged and impressively executed, the production deserves praise for its strong cast and technical wizardry. A gripping night at the theatre that proves there’s still plenty of life left in the haunted house genre!

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Tour Information

The Haunting of Hill House continues its run at Theatre Royal Brighton from 20–24 October before heading to Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Cambridge.

To find out more and book tickets, visit:

The Haunting of Hill House | UK Tour 2026 | Official Site
https://thehauntingofhillhouse.co.uk/

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Cast

Jasper Britton: Dr. Montague
Jemma Churchill: Mrs Montague
Sian Howard: Mrs Dudley
Sophie Lenglinger: Theo (Theodora)
Robin Morrissey: Luke
Clancy Ryan: Eleanor
Darryl Oakley: Understudy
Eleanor Hague: Understudy

Creative Team

Original novel: Shirley Jackson
Stage adaptation: Stef Smith
Director: Martin Constantine
Designer: Ti Green
Lighting Designer: Chris Davey
Sound Designer: Johnny Edwards
Composer: Harry Blake
Video Designer: Duncan McLean
Illusion Designer: Will Houstoun
Movement Director: Georgina Lamb
Associate Director: Bobbie-Jean Henning
General Management: James Quaife, Luminous Entertainment Group

Producers and Presenters

Presented by: Mark Puddle, Alexander “Sandy” Marshall, and Patrick Myles
In association with: Wiltshire Creative and Theatr Clwyd