Gunter, by the initial synopsis, sounds like a story we know well. A witch trial, where the outcome either way is not a way out and where women have been condemned, sexualised and abused. However, Gunter is a little different. This particular trial starts with a football match. The richest man in the village, Brian Gunter, murders two boys at a football match, escaping imprisonment because of his status, gender and his money. But when his daughter suddenly begins convulsing and acting strange, it descends into a witch hunt for the two boy’s mother, who is believed to have cursed Gunter’s daughter in revenge, commenting on the difference of gender in finding justice, when she is sought after to be condemned.
A historical tale with only a small amount of fact recorded, the story is translated into modern day to try and place it in our minds as prevalent. The themes themselves are comments on gender inequality, patriarchy and injustice between women and men which is seen in today’s society, as much as it was in the 1600’s. This is effective in not placing the story in the past, allowing us to relate and to bring it to modern day. This is supported by the actors in football kit, beginning the show as we walk in with images of football hooligans projected onto the back wall and the continued inclusion of multi-media throughout. It is important that we don’t push the story into the past, making it seem like fiction or the past and not really a reality. However, the football aspect feels a small part of the overall story and a slightly disconnected element as the play unfolds. Perhaps it is there to remind us of how football has been historically male orientated from both players and fans but this loses its power during the production, in a good way, when it is replaced by much more.
Such a theme, on the outside, would seem intense. But there’s something special about this production when it’s actually very funny. Perhaps the content shouldn’t be so funny, but how the actors and the writing bring across these nuggets is so superb and does well to help build up the crescendo of the end of the play.
Multi-media is used effectively, to not only modernise the story, but to bring different levels and different and eerie elements to the production, with microphones and a live band, unique songs and soundscapes. The immense energy of the performers is powerful and energetic, making me wonder how exhausted they must be after each show. Their ability to change characters throughout, with only their skill and nothing more is extraordinary. At times, I wanted to pin point an actor for standing out particularly, but this was too hard. They all were monumental and brilliant in every role they took through sheer physicality.
Gunter makes so many poignant and important comments on past and presence differences between men and women and the injustices in this. A historical tale, centered in a time of witches and magic, which can still be translated to modern day, but with some comedy, some modernisms and an overall fantastic tour de force of theatre.
Thanks to our contributions to Get The Chance Wales, a long standing partnership with Tempo Time Credits rewards us for our volunteer contributions to the site. Tempo has a lot of unique and interesting offers, with these being exchanged for credits earned per review.
I have in the past used these to access entry to the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, trips on Uber Clipper Boats and I have donated these to others. Other offers during Covid existed such as subscriptions to Disney plus. The credits can be used across the country, for a range of activities from culture, to health and fitness to heritage and more.
An Easter weekend resulted in me spending time with my whole family, containing 4 children aged 11 to 3. Struggling to decide what to do with them, but being a 1 hour drive from Cornwall, I booked us into Newquay Zoo, as offered by Tempo. It was so easy and straight forward, and it allowed us a really lovely day in the chilly but lovely Easter sun. We saw a wealth of animals and read about the zoo’s contribution to conservation. Favourites of the kids ranged from Otters, Penguins and Lynx cats, while us adults loved Warty Pigs, Armadillos and Red Pandas. Delicious and affordable lunch was available, freshly made on site with fresh brewed coffee, and a mid visit ice cream and play in the playground nicely broke up the walk around and a outlet for the kids to expel their energy. The Easter weekend brought a treasure trail for the kids to spot eggs with letters around the zoo, resulting in an anagram we needed to decipher to win an Otter experience. Another very fun addition.
Booking was simple and easy and obtaining the tickets further at the zoo was simple and quick. We had a wonderful time and big thanks to Tempo for enabling us to do so!
For Black Boys, Written & directed by Ryan Calais executes several delicate themes within this production successfully, serving blacks boys worldwide unapologetically. Justice is performed intrinsically as the black boy experience gets relived & told through the lens of six black men, who speak on behalf of black boys prohibited from speaking their truth out of fear, incarceration, elimination or self-destruction.
This production deeply reveals roots of oblivion, shame, guilt and suppression; depicting the multiple shades & textures of black boy’s strengths, weaknesses, femininity and masculinity which inevitably get covered by layers of pain, denial, toxicity, fragility, conflicting thoughts, emotions and feelings as a response to feeling emasculated, oppressed, subjugated; as well as belittled from police brutality, high unemployment rates, pre-judgements and discrimination.
From family complications to what it means to then become the man of the house once dad walks out, especially when all your life you’ve been stigmatised, misunderstood, marginalised, disfranchised, economically stagnant and secluded. For Black Boys highlights raw truth, distasteful secrets and unshaken ancestral knowledge, depths of supreme black history to reverse disempowerment to empowerment, victory, breakthroughs, self-discipline and mastery to prevent gang affiliations, knife crime, lack of positive male influences and internal suffering leading to sorrow, despair & suicide.
Each personal experience, whether love, homosexuality, exclusion, mental health or hyper-sexuality was magically expressed through dance, freedom of expression movement and singing, belting from the depths of their soul to demonstrate liberation, vulnerability, livelihood and desire to escape judgment, to just be, to be seen and acknowledged in the midst of white supremacy and conflicting institutional spaces.
Each cast member brought to life characterisation that’s individualistic and unique, infused with variety, personality types and how being grouped to fit into one box label ‘black’ is detrimental, pressuring black boys to put on a front, suppress their emotional side and refrain from making wise decisions in the name of being a man that should act tough, insensitive, prideful & egotistical. This powerful dynamic reflected the difficulties affiliated with feeling a sense of belonging, community and purpose when you don’t fit the narrative of being black within social settings but may neatly fit into white groups until they state the obvious.
For Black Boys who have considered suicide when the hue gets too heavy takes you on rollercoaster of black boy’s highs & lows. Witnessing blackness being diminished and dehumanised leading to vulnerability to then becoming fully black conscious, fully present in this world and confidently outspoken as the foundation to a hopeful future, living with purpose, no longer just existing due to knowing you have the protection of ancestors, a legacy infused with powerful African genetics and success stories rewritten in your name if only you are willing to fight that good fight and not give up no matter how heavy your hue gets. This play touches on the significance of black boys removing the negative residue that the world had ignorantly smudged on black boys from childhood, & how irrespective of how much residue & scars visibly remain, black boys, you are and always will be special.
Highly recommended! For Black Boys will be running until June 2024.
CAST:
Tobi King Bakare, Shakeel Haakim, Fela Lufadeju, Albert Magasi, mohammed Mansaray, Poshi Morakinyo
Those who are lucky enough to get over to Theatr Clwyd in Mold over the next week or so to witness Kill Thy Neighbour will be surprised to learn that this is writer Lucie Lovatt’s first full-length play. It has been a long time since I saw a play that captured my full attention and imagination throughout, as this one did. Lovatt had been inspired by an article about Cwm-Yr-Eglwys and the fact that only two of the fifty properties there currently had permanent residents: the political backdrop of the second-home crisis being current and resonating with, not just Welsh communities, but communities across the globe.
The play opens with the audience looking in on a family home in a little Welsh coastal village abandoned by its former residents and now overrun with wealthy folk from the cities buying properties as holidays home or weekend getaways. The house in front of us could belong to any of us- there’s washing up in the sink, dozens of coats hanging on hooks near the door, most probably not worn anymore, a couch that’s seen better days, a table and four chairs donning a cork board and a door that creaks open with the slightest breeze. This is no Instagram home, but a home that has seen generations of the same family living under its roof, a home that is loved, a home that has seen more than we first realise. The phrase ‘if walls could talk’ certainly comes to the forefront as the action progresses. And there is so much action despite the play not moving from these four walls. The characters, the setting, the plot keep the audience completely hooked throughout- a real mix of hilarity and darkness and yet everything believable despite the explosive secrets that are unearthed.
We meet long-married couple Caryl (Victoria John) and Meirion (Dafydd Emyr) who appear to be at odds- Caryl has called in camp-as-a-row-of-tents estate agent, Gareth (Jamie Redford), to value the house even as Meirion insists he is never moving; this is where generations of his family grew up and he never intends to sell the house. Later we learn there may be more to his decision that first meets the eye, Lovatt consistently dropping hints and clues of the drama that is about to unfold. Nothing is predictable but we are left frequently wondering.
The outsider invasion is represented by Max (Gus Gordon), a Bristol-based marketing consultant who has just bought the property next door, which Meirion has agreed to keep an eye on while Max is still commuting back for work at the same time as attempting to salvage his relationship with his girlfriend who doesn’t seem all too keen on the move.
The drama continues to unravel as Caryl and Meirion’s thirty-something daughter, Seren (Catrin Stewart) arrives on the scene with a few secrets of her own. She escaped the village years ago, much to the disappointment of her mother. Arguments and revelations ensue and there is a constant undercurrent of something like the bubbling of a volcano ready to erupt at any moment. We hang on every word of each character, all of whom we can relate to in one way or another; the near retired wife who doesn’t feel wanted, the downtrodden father who has always worked hard but isn’t satisfied with his lot, the happy go-lucky guy next door who just wants to please everyone, the local estate agent who wants his next sale but who also has a heart and the daughter who moved away and wants a family of her own.
The cast are simply superb and play every word and emotion perfectly- it is impossible to single out one player. The comedic elements are skilfully balanced against the raw issues arising in this production and has certainly left me wanting to see more of what this writer has to offer in the future. From the set to the direction, the casting to the interweaving lives of these characters before us- this is a must-see piece of theatre!
Kill Thy Neighbour completes its run at Theatr Clwyd on April 20th.
Hi Sophie, great to meet you. You are currently studying Music Performance (Flute) at RWCMD, Cardiff, can you give our readers some background information on your career to date?
Hi Guy, it’s lovely to meet you too! I have been playing the flute for 13 years, previously studying with Berkshire Music Trust, (a registered charity who support everyone to have access to music education regardless of their background) …or Berkshire Maestros as it was known back then! Throughout my time with them I played in numerous ensembles, the most senior being Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra, Newbury Concert Band and Newbury Flute Choir.
Since joining the RWCMD in 2020, I have been part of the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra and also formed the Eira Quintet and the Corriera Trio with other members of the college.
So, what got you interested in the arts?
I have always been interested in the arts as a whole, singing was one of my hobbies from the moment I could get words out of my mouth! It was actually my mum who got me interested in playing the flute, as she had her old one in the house and let me have a try when I was 8 years old. I fell in love with it straight away and have never looked back since.
What importance does music have in your life and how have you combined the life of a student musician and opportunities to perform live in your professional career?
Music is at the heart of who I am. There is not much I do without having music of some description either playing in the background, or playing it myself. It is something that I use to help regulate my mental health, as I believe music can be so empowering regardless of whether you are the listener or performer. The college provide us with many opportunities to sign up to perform, both inside the college and out in the community, so it is all about finding a balance and being disciplined and realistic with how much you can take on alongside the mandatory work that comes with the degree. Alongside this, I often go to schools or learning centres with my ensembles to do community workshops, which is something I hope to continue doing throughout my professional career.
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is a Conservatoire, some of our readers may be unfamiliar with this term, how does this differ to study at a University?
That is a great question! Studying at a conservatoire is a lot more performance based than studying Music at a university. We have two solo performance recitals per year (one short, one long), a technical exam specific to our instrument, an orchestral excerpts exam and an ensemble recital. There is still some written assignments each year, however these aren’t as heavily weighted.
Along with the members of The Eira Quintet you are part of one of the RWCMD, Woolcott Residencies, these provide students with the tools, support and mentoring needed to set themselves up as creative businesses working in a collaborative, entrepreneurial manner. They are an innovative training programme designed to support RWCMD students working within the community, and to give local people a sense of ownership of the arts. Your Residency is based at St Johns Church adjacent to The Hayes, Cardiff. How did you come to be involved in this project and what are your ambitions for its delivery?
The opportunity to become the artists in residence at the church was advertised to the students at college, so we applied and were lucky enough to be offered the position! We have a few different plans for concerts to deliver at the church, including one hopefully collaborating with the choir, as well as workshop ideas for local schools and members of the community. We were also honoured to perform as part of the St David’s Day service and hope to be involved in more of the church’s events across the residency.
As part of the Woolcott Residency, each ensemble will be encouraged to curate and nurture their own relationship with a venue, delivering regular educational workshops, concerts and participatory sessions for at least a year. You will be performing in the Church in the near future, how do you approach performing in a church and what has the response been so far?
Yes, we are really looking forward to this performing, we have some really fun music lined up! Performing in a church definitely brings some challenges due to the boomy acoustic, so we have to make sure we over do any detail in the music for it to come across. Also, as the venue is a sacred place, we always make sure to have conversations with the church clergy to make sure they are happy with the music we perform and the way we use the space. So far we have had a very positive response from both the clergy and the members of the community towards our performances, as well as from the Mayor of Cardiff and staff from the Cardiff and Vale Music Service.
You also recently performed in The Old Library as part of Pamela Howards, Welcome to Wales Exhibition. The exhibition had a theme of retracing the stories of immigrants who’ve travelled through and to Cardiff. As young musicians how can you reflect contemporary society?
I think our work at the exhibition reflects the positive direction that society is going in in recognising the struggles that have happened in our history and working on preventing them from happening again. We are very fortunate to have the luxury of studying at RWCMD, so I think it is fantastic that these stories are being given the setting to be shared both with us as students and the wider community. We always strive to include a diverse range of composers in our repertoire to reflect how society is moving in this direction.
If you were able to fund an area of the arts what would this be and why?
If you had asked me this question a couple of years ago then I would have said music education without a doubt, as I believe that it is so important both for a child’s development but also for the future of the arts as a whole. However, in light of recent events I would now choose to fund professional orchestras and venues as they are now the organisations that are struggling with a lack of funding.
What currently inspires you about the arts in the Wales?
I find the Welsh Government’s attitude to music education very inspiring! They see the importance of music in schools and have put a plan in place to allow children of all ages to participate in musical activities and/or learn an instrument without any limitations of cost. I think this is exactly what the future of the arts needs and it brings a lot of hope into the sector.
What was the last really great arts event that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?
I may be biased, but I recently went to the “Opera Double Bill” at the Sherman Theatre. This was a performance of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Resphigi’s La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco by RWCMD’s David Seligman Opera School. As far as I know, everything from the set design to the musicians on and off stage was done by college students, and it was all to such a high standard. I enjoyed it so much that I went every night!
If you are interested in study at RWCMD you can find out more about future Open Days here
Love Steps playing until the 20th April at Omnibus Theatre, is written, co-produced and directed by Anastasia Osei-Kuffour. The play features two cast members, Sharon Rose; who plays Anna. Anna is young, black, gifted, driven and ambitious. Reece Richards, plays multiple male prototypes and well executes the variety of qualities, traits, mixed messages and nuances woman experience from various types of men of different races, cultures and diverse backgrounds in reality as well as via online-dating.
Love Steps delves deeply into each step required to experience to eventually reach the final destination ‘Love’. Whilst simultaneously highlighting the difficulties black woman especially tend to experience in the name of pursuing, attracting and feeling desired to tap into love within England. Starting off with Hinge, the dating app designed to be deleted (as the branding states) metaphorically depicted ping gaming sound effects, as we witness Anna swiping away until she matches with a potential, however, how much potential is there when there is a match? how truthful does one need to be initially? and is asking for openness, honesty & vulnerability too much once the signs are there that you’re both into each other, willing to give the dating experience a fair shot? if so, is it the guys fault by default preventing the love petals from blossoming out of fear, anxiety, lack of emotional intelligence and subconscious detachments from femininity, feelings and fate. This play smartly sparks a lot of gentle curiosities… even once you’ve left.
Poetry was nicely incorporated throughout the play to showcase various episodes of love such as the honey moon phase, initial stages of chemistry, romantically consumed with passion, excitement, butterflies, chances, openness, shared memories, realness, affection, hope, dedication, purpose & warmth… slowly wittering away to coldness, emotional distancing, suppressed feelings, talking less, loose usage of “I love you”, loss of interest, deceit, non-confronted deception, loneliness, mixed emotions, emotional distress; leaving a woman broken, numb and hurt; all in the name of love which inevitably conflicts back to a broken heart, a heart broken from love when you never saw it coming.
Captivating expressions were revealed to manifest the underlying feelings and states women are left with and how men spiritually channel regret, pain, remorse, disrespect and oblivion to their wrongdoings through physical theatre movement, which nicely complimented the space with the dimmed lit illuminance.
Love Steps speaks volumes of how much importance females can place on relationships during adulthood. How lost the mind can get, how healing/self soothing balms and recovery steps will always be unique to an individual, & how much that stage gets overlooked forgetting it needs to be nourished frequently, valued and prioritised during and long after a break up until someone possibly captures your heart next.
There are several fundamental messages to be taken away from this play. Anna being the first generation born in the UK gave her a lot to ponder on when making comparisons on whether her feeling undesirable, unwanted and second best would be her fate back home in Africa, therefore, finding self acceptance & comfort to ground self when caught up in waves of being seen as a fetish, sexualised, objectified, an option and a non-beauty standard within western society whilst dating all types of men, is the antidote to providing true sanity, tranquility & female empowerment when recuperating from heartbreak to give love another shot!
A highly recommended play that explores many crucial themes such as cultural dynamics and variations of dating styles that people worldwide are bound to experience from all walks of life striving to search, find & intimately connect with the next chance encounter to experience love at least once in their lifetime.
The Death & life of All of Us explores themes of identity, self-judgement, sexuality, acceptance, loss, growth, transformation. Whilst touching on indifferences when born into families with long-standing cultural traditions and morally influenced cultural beliefs that no longer serve us, therefore, battling internal-conflict to rebuild identify through adaptations and changes as we navigate through our destined life path.
From video recordings projected onto three different screens set like a cubicle around the stage to a live sound mixer joined with Victor on the stage, the audience were taken into the mysterious yet curious enchanting world of Victor, who from young wanted to escape from the confinements of his politically correct world where he could feel truly liberated and be honest with himself and his loved ones without feeling guilty as a heterosexual man from both Jewish & Arab descent.
The Death & Life of us All; initiates up close and personal incentives as we dive into his world of trust, love, intimacy, family secrecy and privacy. Victor’s preserved footage documented the openly loving yet securely enclosed connection he shared with his self-disciplined great aunt Marcella, the more she shared during the short clips about her past affiliations, left you hungry and eager to know and hear more! Due to the highlights of political powers intervening due to her past love interests working in elite jobs, and harassment/stalking from officials within governmental affairs and more – we could only sympathise and emotionally connect with her to gain sufficient support & protection during the rest of her chosen secluded life.
This play explores the unknown emotional turbulences we can all experience as a result of what we are made to identify as due to cultural/traditional beliefs and upbringing, confrontation of self as we mature due to no longer wanting to identify or follow what we have been indoctrinated or conditioned into from birth. Death and life serves as a metaphor where we are consciously taken through the maze of our own lives to acknowledge the concept of our past, present and future to simultaneously remind us that time is not linear and that the past is constantly flowing into now back & fourth.
Towards the end of the play we see how Victor gets lost in dance and rhythm as the music genres Dub mixed with Lebanese traditional sounds combine. The ambience increased as Victor’s dancing became exaggerated, eventually wearing him out. How our energy can slowly deflate as we reveal our heart, release personal stories, unleash nuances and strive to maintain the newly found sequences to our much preferred routine, structure and lifestyle choices with or without our family approval.
The melody of this play is packed with Victor’s humour, sarcasm and wittiness as you simultaneously ponder the duality and the significance of death & life.
Come From Away has been called one of the ‘best new musicals of the century,’ which is high praise indeed when you consider the sheer choice and variation of shows and, in particular, musicals, when you consider attending the theatre. This assessment, however, is truly well deserved, proven by the instantaneous standing ovation at the end of the opening night of Come From Away at the Millennium Centre.
The plot focuses on the true-life story of the town of Gander. Once the biggest airport in the world, Gander International was at the forefront of aviation, perfectly placed for planes to land to refuel during their transatlantic flights. Since those glory days, however, there’s talk of tearing down the airport as planes can now make their journeys on a single tank. However, the peaceful lives of the residents of Gander are shattered as 38 planes were diverted there due to the airspace being closed after the catastrophic terrorist attack in America on 9/11.
Starting with the staging; there is no safety curtain as we take our seats; the stage is set simply with chairs and tables. The band is on stage alongside the action. The back wall is simple, but projections create all the atmosphere we need; starting with clouds and transitioning as the show progresses to show us various locations and occurrences, such as small lights as the residents gaze up at the numerous planes landing. The simple set means that nothing detracts from the stories being told here. The chairs are moved around to create Tim Hortons where the Mayor sips a Pepsi and ‘gets the lay of the land,’ the rows in the planes or the seats in the school buses that escort the fearful temporary residents of Gander to their impromptu homes on the island. Lighting is incredible, with several moving tableaus perfectly highlighted by the creative placement and tones.
The music is uplifting, joyous and the hooks are infectious. The musicians being on stage and sometimes involved in the action is the perfect way to ensure that the music is well and truly integral to the piece. The pace is non-stop, the harmonies are perfectly placed, the voices are excellent and so heartfelt. Particular favourites of mine were ‘Welcome to the Rock’ which is a rousing opener, ‘Prayer’ which shows the diversity of the passengers on those flights so perfectly, ‘Me and the Sky’ which is Beverley Bass’ homage to her journey to becoming a pilot, and the hilarious ‘Screech In.’
The cast was wonderful and it’s hard to pick out one member as this is such an ensemble piece where every actor is equally as important. However, special mention must be made to Kirsty Malpass, the resident co-director and choreographer, who stepped in to play ‘Bonnie and Others.’ It really shows the importance of understudies, covers, and swings and epitomises that the ‘show must go on.’ Every cast member play multiple parts; the residents of Gander initially, then numerous, various passengers and the pilots and crew on those 38 flights. Each transition is seamless. You are never in doubt of which character is speaking; the change in accents is impressive, as is the Brechtian technique of adding a hat, jacket, or similar, to show that we are now seeing the story of a new character.
What Come From Away does so well is these stories. You feel for every single person delivering their tales. The real characters are presented with sensitivity and truth. The fictional ones too, show what those people went through being so far from home, maybe alone, scared, wondering about their loved ones and appalled at the visions unfolding before them on television screens. It does not shy from showing us the difficult things; the fear and suspicion of the Muslim Egyptian passenger, the difficulty with understanding one another’s language and culture, the overcoming of those issues and coming together because, when it comes down to it, we all ‘come from away’ and all deserve to feel loved, for our stories to be heard, for someone to hold our hands when we feel isolated.
So, is Come From Away truly one of the ‘best new musicals of the century’? It more than earns this accolade, in every note, every story portrayed, the way that we can still learn from it, even over 20 years after that terrorist attack. If anything, we need this musical more than ever, as it shows us that even as we stand ‘on the edge of a moment,’ perhaps in need or feeling alone, there is someone ready to make you feel like you belong, whether that is one person, or a whole community.
Do not take Women for granted. Let us celebrate International Women’s Day. Women can be strong; they can be bold. The time is now.
Take a moment out of your busy day and visit the Cynon Valley Museum Aberdare as it presents the work of Alix Edwards (Alix Edwards visual artist & writer artography) and her KICKASS “Myth of Women” Exhibition.
Take heed, these are visually strong paintings of women, shown stunningly in vibrant colours resilient in their quests. Women who have battled the extremes of Humankind, illuminated shining and intense through the atmospheric power of this talented artist and storyteller of myths and truths
The vitality of pure brushstrokes hold the attention crying out for the legendary stories to be told. It is the black and white stretched so neatly into the full spectrum of colours. A kaleidoscope entwining mystery and magic
The names may be familiar with many attributed to the bardic Tales of Taliesen, others by their Martyrdom.
Ceridwen, Gwladys, Gwen, Nest, Winifred, Ffraid, Gwraig Anwn, Rhiannon and Gwenllian. Think of the strength and resilience of Gwenllian who fought when pregnant, her abdomen shown in the painting comparable to a shield protecting the future generation. The beheaded Winifred and the Rhondda Valleys’ own “Our Lady of Penrhys”.
There is the poignant reflection of the Magdalen Laundries in the accompanying paintings entitled “Babies”. You can sense the urgency of the lost children to be found, feel the cutting words and wounds that come with the sorrow of memories. The stains of injustice.
The fire is lit encompassing all these women as the forerunners of the suffragettes, the women who took on the jobs of men during the two world wars, the Greenham common protest, helping to launch the first space journey to the Moon, the first computer, the foundation of the Wireless connection Wi-Fi and the GPS system, the structure of DNA. A baton has been handed over for other women to blaze a new trail
The Myth of Women Exhibition calls out Women be strong, define yourself, be brave, speak out against ignorance, be beautiful, remind yourself you are unique, the power and the pride BE YOU
Do not take women for granted, do not forget that it was Adam who was left with the apple lodged in his throat.
This Exhibition is presented at the Cynon Valley Museum until Saturday 30 March.
Events ongoing at the Cynon Valley Museum please see their Website/Facebook for details.
In Aberdare and the Rhondda Fach Avant Cymru theatre company will present The Silent Volunteer by Sue Bevan at St Elvan’s Church on Thursday, 11 April and at Tylorstown Welfare Hall and Institute on Friday, 12 April. Performances at both venues are at 2 pm and 7 pm. Please see Avant Cymru website for more information and tickets In YOUR area within a short distance or a bus ride.
Andrew Bovell is a world renowned Australian playwright with whose work A48 Theatre Company founder Ray Thomas became familiar when he toured a collaborative Welsh and Australian production of “Do Not Go Gentle”, starting at Chapter Arts Centre and finishing at The Drill Hall Theatre in New South Wales in 2017.
After the success of “When The Rain Stops Falling” at Chapter in 2022, A48 Theatre Company chose “Things I Know To Be True”, another of Andrew Bovell’s plays, for the current production which runs from March 25-30th at Llanover hall arts centre, Romilly Road, Cardiff .
The play is bookended by night-time scenes at the Price family home when the ringing living-room phone wakes up the household. There is speculation among the younger members of the family before father Bob lifts the receiver and answers ‘hello’. Before we know the significance of the call which comes at the close, action then proceeds to the front of the stage where the youngest, Rosie, gives the first monologue.
If you were thinking that the play’s title suggested a catalogue of didactic rants according to one or other characters, it wasn’t going to be this one. Rosie is telling us how she went travelling to discover love and life. Thinking she had got a result, we are shocked to hear the outcome of her encounter with Spanish heart-throb Immanuel in Berlin. When the scene cuts to her arrival at the family home to find solace, we are then diverted from the expectation she will receive a sympathetic hearing as her family appear and pepper us with quick-fire banter relating to past behaviours, some fond memories, others more resentful (e.g “I spend good cash on buying you a coffee-machine, Dad, but you never use it!”) that all but side-lines poor Rosie whose tale of loss and romantic disappointment is ignored.
The play explores the tensions created in the family relationships as each of Fran and Bob’s offspring reveal the singular deep and personal crises in their young adult lives. Bob is a prematurely retired car-worker while Fran still works as a hospital nurse, both have always been scrupulous about raising their children well and morally, to be able to leave the nest one day to create careers and family life of their own. The drama lies in how the revelations put a strain on the prospect of a happy dotage for the parents as their children reach adulthood. Such revelations force Fran to admit she has put small portions of her earnings aside in case she felt she had to leave Bob, to his consternation, while Bob has retired to grow his roses but finds it difficult to spent all his hours usefully satisfying as he had hoped.
The set is simple, tables and chairs behind the house-frame viewed from the garden area with a display of Bob’s beloved roses. Much is made of the tree beyond the fourth wall to illustrate character. Against it Fran beats her head out of frustration; Mark climbs it to observe the life around him, detached as he is from any sense of ease with norms of family and society. His brother Ben skits into view and out again to establish himself as a character evading the focus of others as he masquerades behind a facade of being as well-heeled as the privileged crowd he is trying to impress at work. Status and the value of wealth are hereby explored to a satisfying extent. Financial settlement at career end often results in a paltry amount considering the years of service someone like Fran has given.
When Ben confesses to mounting debt due to false accounting practices to fund his lifestyle, one parent is predictably outraged, the other unpredictably pragmatic. Ben’s brother Mark has decided he identifies as a woman and has booked gender-change surgery. Their sister Pip, a successful corporate career woman, is giving up the intimate care of her children in favour of leaving her husband for another man (also married). All these crises of the young adults throw the stability and hopeful expectations of their unprepared conventional parents into disarray.
The outcome is not surprising but still comes as a shock. Rosie’s second monologue is an inspired piece. Bovell writes it as if Rosie is imagining the thoughts in the overburdened mind of her mother as she leaves her hospital shift in the early morning hours for the last time, not for the first time her absorption in the case of a patient she has cared for being pertinent to her fate. The finale concludes with a wonderful silent episode where the children are dressing their father when all had been in nightwear moments earlier. Mark is now Mia and convincingly dressed and styled as such.
If the intensity of family dynamics is appropriately tense, the script is leavened with humour for some relief. The actors were admirably up to the challenges of some long speeches and fast repartee, if in monologue their voices dropped on occasion, making it hard to hear. A satisfying if unsettling drama, “Things I Know To Be True” is well produced in set and action, and recommended viewing if you can get tickets via a48theatrecompany.com
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
(4 / 5)
(5 / 5)
