If you’ve ever wondered what lurks beneath your bed, what clouds your brain when you’re asked a question in front of the whole class, or even what snaps at your heels when confronted with a physical challenge, then Taking Flight’s new show has the answer: Dragons.

You’ve Got Dragons is a deeply imaginative play for primary-age children by Manon Steffan Ros, adapted from Kathryn Cave’s book. Directed by Elise Davison, the concept is as simple as it is brilliant – all the fears and anxieties that plague us in our everyday lives are actually dragons, stubbornly immoveable. But how do we learn to live with them?

Six young friends hang out in a cityscape of brick, iron and electric light – a superb set by Ruth Stringer gloriously lit by Garrin Clarke – that suggests the dangers, real and imagined, hanging over an uncertain world. Grace (Grace O’Brien) watches her friends scale a low roof, but a dragon on her shoulder holds her back from completing the climb herself. She’s terrified. Rather than berate her, Grace’s companions recall a story they’ve been told of Ben, a boy who has to learn to combat his metaphorical (we think) dragons as he navigates homelife and school.

This Brechtian play-within-a-play device allows the characters to explore their fears in a safe environment without prospect of recrimination. The tension may have been ramped up further had the perils happened to the characters first hand, but Taking Flight has clearly considered the target audience of younger children, some of whom would find this once-removed conceit more palatable.

Ben – played by two cast members, O’Brien and Amy Helena (the latter signing BSL throughout) – demonstrates that we can all get “a case of the dragons” often in situations that our peers might find quite normal. And this personalisation of fears is so often what makes them feel worse. The trick, they discover, is not to defeat your dragons, but to learn to accept them and recontextualise them. Ros’s script communicates this sophisticated metaphorical conflict with skill, pathos and humour, the messages remaining clear amid the magic and madness of the tale. This is a play packed with honesty, and about how opening up to our friends can minimise our anxieties.

Elise Davison’s staging is brimming with physical wit. The dragons’ appearances are at different times represented by silhouetted puppetry, prosthetics, flourishes of costume design and most cleverly by the movement of the ensemble themselves as well as the use of wire-cage gates to create the beast’s wings. It eschews cinematic effects, remaining joyously theatrical.

As ever, Taking Flight celebrates diversity in a way that is wholly truthful and unostentatious, normalising the inclusion of BSL and ensuring it remains an equal language in the text. The quiet impact this philosophy has on the company’s young audience is immeasurable and an absolute good. You’ve Got Dragons is much more than a brilliant example of inclusive art; it is a beautifully performed piece of theatre with which all of us can relate.

Performance reviewed: 17th July 2024

You’ve Got Dragons

Chapter, Cardiff

Adaptation: Manon Steffan Ros, from the book by Kathryn Cave

Director: Elise Davison

BSL and Participation Director: Stephanie Bailey-Scott

Composer and Sound Designer: Dan Lawrence

Set and Costume Designer: Ruth Stringer

Lighting Designer: Garrin Clarke

Creative Captions: Ben Glover

Producer: Ffion Glyn

Performers: Alex Nowak, Amy Helena, Catrin Mai Edwards, Eben James, Grace O’Brien, Gethin Roberts

Running time: 1 hour

(4 / 5)

I had expected to be viewing this 1963 set comedia dell’arte in glorious sunshine…it is July after all! However, the Harlequin, Francis, and his motley crew had a typical wet Welsh summer to perform in…on the 5^th July!

After weeks of General Election coverage, voting and exit polls, I was feeling in need of a few good belly laughs and I knew One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean would not disappoint. The set was as colourful as the subject matter, not even dented by the constant downpour of rain that evening. The bright backdrop is versatile throughout, with a space reserved on the roof for some very catchy musical numbers!

One Man Two Guvnors is an adaptation of Servant of Two Masters, a comedy play, from 1746 by Carlo Goldoni. The exotic Italian location is replaced with 1963 Brighton, the Harlequin becomes an out of work skiffle player, the food he is constantly pining for becomes the haddock, chips and mushy peas served by the Cricketer’s Arms (a pub…that does food!). The plot is remarkably faithful to the original play; the woman in disguise as her murdered brother, the Harlequin bemoaning his empty stomach and the confusion that arises when he attempts (ill-advisedly) to take on and serve two masters, without one, or the other, discovering.

One Man Two Guvnors takes that storyline and slaps the action firmly in 1963. The script is smart; hilarious, pacey and full of puns and tongue twisters. The farce and physical humour elements are particularly strong, such as when Francis argues with, and manages to knock out, himself. I must say, I had huge admiration for the entire cast as they, clearly drenched and getting wetter by the minute, rolled around on the floor space, dived from railings, rode food trolleys and much more.

The action is ably directed and there is no stone left unturned in the pursuit of comedy. Simon H West, in his 24^th year as a part of the festival, ensures that there is no let up of side splitting humour; whether it’s the clever use of his stage crew (a moving crew), interactions with the audience (such as the policeman handing out flyers to look for Rachel who ‘looks a bit like Ringo Starr’ in her mugshot), musical interludes which had me cackling and the sheer pace and delivery of the script, Simon has clearly ensured that every opportunity is utilised.

The cast are all brilliant in their roles and the casting is spot on. They’re clearly having an absolute ball performing this script, and the camaraderie and trust they have in one another is clear to see. The comedic chops are strong throughout, but particular mention must be made of the Harlequin himself, Francis Henshall, played by Matthew Preece. His physicality and timing are both excellent, as is his ability to ad lib and create new humour out of audience interactions. I must admit that, when Francis asked for a sandwich (a cry usually left unanswered) and somebody offered one, only for it to turn out to be hummus, I thought the audience would die laughing at Matthew’s lightning-fast responses and ability to turn the unexpected addition to his advantage.

The cast features fantastic performances from Bethan Maddocks as Rachel Crabbe who also had a beautiful singing voice, Joshua Ogle as the hilarious Stanley Stubbers (aka Dustin Pubsign) and Gregory Owens as Harry Dangle, the ‘no win, same fee’ lawyer. Brogan Rogers is Pauline who, cracked me up every time she proclaimed loudly, ‘I don’t understand!’ She is joined by Tom Price as Alan (Orlando) Dangle who played the ham to perfection, Toby Harris as hard-nosed but ultimately soft-hearted Charlie Clench and Jess Courtney as the ultimate feminist bookkeeper and love interest of Francis. Her proclamation about us one day having a female prime minister who would show compassion and love for the people certainly got some laughs! Completing the cast is Devante Fleming as Lloyd Boateng whose side glances at the audience as he mentioned ‘Parkhurst’ had us giggling away. The ensemble is also excellent, but Joan Hoctor as Elsie made my night. She had the whole audience spluttering with laughter and she stole every scene she was in, even if she just walked (slowly) across the stage pulling her shopping troller behind her.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the new interpretation of this very funny play. The cast should be highly commended for their very well executed performances, even as the rain poured down around them. It proves that farce is still alive and well, whether it’s performed in the 18^th or the 21^st century! In these often doom and gloom times, it’s so lovely to leave a show with a huge smile on my face, that even the torrential downpour could not wash away.

(4 / 5)

Arguably William Shakespeare’s most timeless receives a twist from the Everyman Youth Theatre, and it’s another success from the always-strong ensemble. ‘Romeo & Juliet’ is well-crafted adaptation that brings out the undeniable talent in its young performers.

The show has some interesting technical ideas, despite its authentically Shakespearean dialogue, it frequently incorporates modern music into its storytelling. It’s all very ‘Romeo + Juliet’, the 1996 movie (which is absolutely fine by me), and it even has some of the same songs. The costuming has the actors all wearing these stained shirts, and almost all of them have something unique written on them. I did spend an inordinate amount of time while watching trying to read every shirt I could. Every character has their name written down, for the newcomers, and a thematically-relevant quote, which was actively rewarding for people like me who know the play well. It added a level of depth that was creatively executed. This applies to every character except for Romeo and Juliet themselves, their clothes are unstained by blood, they are pure. I appreciated the metaphor. The youth theatre productions always have some constraints to contend with, the stage itself is still set up for the festival’s ongoing production of ‘One Man Two Guvnors’, but I’m grateful for the little things like that which leaves it deftly directed, with a great level of immersion despite contrasting circumstances.

The two leads are especially convincing, Romeo (Sidney Evans) and Juliet (Gracie Booth) are totally dedicated to selling their star-crossed love with an impressive maturity. Another standout is Mercutio (Seb Rex), a hilarious scene-stealer. But the entire cast is ever-present and almost always on stage, letting every individual contribute to the overall feel. It is a true ensemble piece, giving every actor their time to shine. Additionally, the discipline and commitment of the children in this production added to its high quality, making for a complete experience well on-par with any older-age equivalent.

The high standard set by this production is nothing less than inspiring, director Sarah Bawler clearly understands the original play and, with the talented performers in tow, turns the popular play into a seamless performance that is efficient in its simplicity and impressive in its quality. The good work of the Everyman Youth Theatre pays off in another fantastic production.

‘Romeo & Juliet’ is at the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival, July 7th & July 21st.

…

(4 / 5)

The Cardiff Open Air Theatre festival’s next show, ‘One Man Two Guvnors’, has arrived, and it’s obvious from the opening night that this comedy is going to be another great hit.

The play follows Francis Henshall (Matthew Preece), a man with, well, two ‘guvnors’. The simple idea of a man working two jobs leads to both expected and unexpected shenanigans. The original West End show starred James Corden, and the character has some obvious Corden-isms that can be a little draining at times, but Preece does very well to elevate himself from some of the constraints of that character. Some of the show’s funniest moments came from his improvised banter with the audience. With that, and elements of heavy audience participation, which ends up being very comedically well-implemented, every performance of this show entirely unique.

The rest of the cast with an eclectic bunch, with all sorts of different hilarious personalities. There’s Dolly (Jess Courtney), who brings some great humour with her feminist attitude, and Alan (Tom Price), a Hamlet-lite character who is deeply entertaining. The standouts are the two ‘guvnors’, Roscoe (Rachel Crabbe), who is not who they appear to be, and the borderline-murderous Stanley (Joshua Ogle), who are hilarious apart and especially together. The latter engages in some of show’s best physical comedy- which the whole show has in well-executed droves- and has some absolutely priceless exclamations that really stand out in my mind. I do hope that he says “oopsie-diddly-die-doe” every night.

On a technical level, the staging has a level of unexpected depth, folding out to create different rooms. Every part of the stage is milked for all the comedy it’s worth, the top being used for musical performances, the area behind the on-stage doors to make imaginary rooms, and even the railing along the top of the stage for Stanley to throw himself off of later. There are also a great deal of set-dressings and props, and in order to make time for the scene changes to have their details carefully placed, the show patches in song and dance numbers during the transitions. Their variance keeps things fresh, so there’s never a dull moment.

As a result, ‘One Man Two Guvnors’ is a hilarious time, especially with the older viewers, the audience around me was practically rolling in their seats. Everyman Theatre’s take on the hit West End hit was a home run with the audience here at the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival, and another real crowd-pleaser.

‘One Man Two Guvnors’ is at the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival, July 5th – July 13th.