I’ll handle this review with care. In the first review of the year. A London stop off would see a highly stimulating crossover of cultures at the Barbican. The Theatre of Kiribati and the Britten Sinfonia defied borders and cultural barriers to present Sea Beanth the Skin/Song of the Earth.
The damnation of climate change has deeply impacted Kiribati, the island country profoundly. Polynesia has been under threat for years and recent political upheaval can only increase further tentions. This hefty cry is mirrored rather bizarrely with Mahler’s The Song of the Earth. The stage is tranfixed into a Samoan dwelling, through the aid of lighting, two pillars and other auras. We would hear this German language song cycle spread out over the near two hours, as chants and dances are interspersed.
Jarring would be one word to use here. Yet to see the spiritual offerings from countries so far away from our own was touching. Bone chilling moments came with shrieks, proclamations, fluttering gesticulation and lucid foot work. We wouldn’t be seeing these remarkable moments were it not for this collaboration, yet this is broadly two seperate events stitched together. The theme of nature never evaded Mahler (the words are settings of Chinese verse), this final masterpiece is often heavy as a standalone.
The songs feel very idle in this context, as if a Euorpean ignorance of the bigger picture. There is a wink to the late Robert Wilson, harsh lighting, slow lingering bodies and such. Lemi Ponifasio as director has chosen depth and atmosphere as the most telling markers and this is effective. The Britten Sinfonia appear muted behind the screen, at the back of the stage in their own lone isle. Conductor Nuno Coelho is strong with the reduced ensemble for these songs. Tenor Sean Panikkar get the drunk and lively numbers, with vocal delivery often sharp and ringing. Mezzo Fleur Barron has the bulk of the narrative songs, her delivery often perfumed and touching, with a command of stage presence. The final Farewell song is one of Mahler’s best moments. Rich in horn, winds, harp, celesta and tam-tam phases, it remains extremely impactful. Barron got the stage alone for herself for most of its demands, she caught the wistful acceptance of it all wonderfully.
Curious how this would end (it also was 30 minutes longer than billed), the circle was closed as The Theatre of Kiribati returned with final spiritual honouring’s with more dance, as the stagey sand poured on the floor earlier began to be spread around due to busy feet. Whale song and dreamy sleep would be the finale, as we gently blacked out and wrapped up.
Whilst flawed in principle, this fascinating show sees our small world can come together and perform, play and prove we are all alike.
As part of MimeLondon, Companie le Fils du Grand Réseau bring us this hilarious “silent” comedy, Fish Bowl. While part of MimeLondon and, as highlighted by quotation marks over the silent, it is not wholly a silent mime example, it is a whole lot of fun and chaos.
Fish Bowl is about three apartments in the same building, each containing a very different resident. Their tiny living quarters are sliced in half to allow us to see within, for their daily lives spread across all seasons and events. While on a large stage that is the Peacock Theatre, this one set has the sense of its small areas enhanced by the performer’s over-exaggerated movements and clever positioning of the staging interiors. For example, the tiny hallway, in reality, opens across the whole stage, but the performers contort themselves around the boxes and keeping to this small slither to really show how tiny this little world is.
Each character is starkly different, and there is something cartoon-like in the stereotyped universes they inhabit. We have a suited moped man whose flat is all white and clean, helped by his habit of hoovering his shoes as he enters; the hippy type who is full to the brim of items from boxes to furniture, leading to his sleeping area to consist of a hammock which evokes laughter when we first see it; and lastly, a pretty female whose flat is all pink and girly yet full of comfort. Despite these differences, we see the group warm to one another, the men lusting after the woman, friendships begin and fade and rekindle, and these character’s stories go in directions you never would have thought.
The humour is brilliantly done – a lot is reliant on physicality and involves clambering the staging or clever prop trickery, with some of the hilarity coming from age old comedy such as toilet humour or a peak at someone in their pants. Others are a bit darker but no less hilarious and shocks us in the transition.
When I highlighted silent in air quotes, this was to mean that the production isn’t wholly silent. However, this doesn’t diminish from the great physicality and some which is shocking and surprising. Music accompanies parts, there are sound effects and the only vocal sources from the characters are almost “Mr Bean”-like, with exclamatory noises or one words chorused. We understand everything that happens and these sound bites only add to the great action on stage.
Fish Bowl is a highly engaging feat of physical comedy, pulling from ordinary and relatable characters and lives but heightening the action to create a hilarious and fun production.
It’s hard to categorise this show, but it’s essentially a piece of stand up combined with a lot of clowning. The clowning animates an hour-long monologue that circles the issues raised by an obsession, in this case getting married before your twenty-seventh birthday.
There are a number of sketches – narrative moments which take us to a ball, a lunatic asylum and the house of an aged aunt. Jane Austen is invoked along the way, of course, but so is Fleabag, the intention being to show the continuity of the central issue over two hundred years. Love Island is not referenced, probably due to copyright issues. Depth and range are added to the stories by the use of black and white film clips shown on the backdrop which are punctuated by ironic remarks. There are a lot of asides and a lot of audience participation, with one hapless individual being invited on stage to play a prospective suitor. (He told a good joke.)
The monologuer, comedian Rosaline Minnitt, is energetic and friendly. She has an appropriate repertoire of facial expressions, and she flips her tones of voice easily. She can sing and project and imitate accents. She is confident of her material, throwing everything bar the kitchen sink at her subject. There is no let-up, but she wins over her audience completely. I was pleased that in all the verbal torrent there is only one expletive which could have been deleted.
Personally, I was interested and amused rather than blown away. Still, credit where credit is due. Most members of a Saturday night audience at Theatr Clwyd are the ‘wrong’ side of 40 and you might have expected them to be staid and unresponsive but Minnitt got on the right side of them/us straightaway. Everyone sang a bit and we waved little electric lights in the air on cue One of the high points of the evening was an audience member’s rendition of a screech owl’s call.
Not being either overwhelmed or partisan, I was well placed to appreciate how much effort had been put into the show by ensuring the incomprehensible storylines stayed on a crazy track. The technical back up was efficient. Lighting and sound effects happened – apparently – on time and the film clips ran smoothly (things like that have a habit of going wrong on the night).
In the end, the stage was left in a mess, with Clementine’s dolly figures of her parents and 67 sisters mixed up with the scores of love/hate letters that fluttered down at one point, but despite everything she had been doing for an hour, Minnitt still looked fresh and up for her next performance. I’d be curious to see what she and Liebenspiel do get up to next. It would be nice to see her working with or off another performer or two and -tackling a subject a tiny bit more – demanding? Just a suggestion.
It’s a statement that makes sense once you stop asking it to behave. It’s also an excellent way into Meet Fred — a show that invites us to loosen our grip on certainty, definition and systems that insist on being right. Walking into the space to a David Bowie track immediately helps me feel settled. It’s a small act of care that signals this is a room where arrival matters, where bodies and minds are allowed to take their time.
https://youtu.be/J3mPIO-KD_k?si=corN-602V7JqY2-5
Meet Fred is a quietly assured piece of theatre that reflects Hijinx Theatre’s long-standing commitment to reimagining how learning disability is understood, represented, and lived with on stage.
Rather than negotiating with the disability models, the production rejects that school of thought entirely, exposing how institutional frameworks repeatedly fail the very people they claim to support.
At its heart, the show is about identity — how we find out who we are, and how others decide who we should be. Fred reminds us that we can be more than one thing simultaneously.
He is a puppet, (who f*****g loathes the Muppets and don’t get him started about children) He is also sensitive and kind (his attempts to compliment are legendary), foul-mouthed and funny, fearful of change and incandescent with anger at systems that do not work for him. His fury, particularly when directed at the DWP — reimagined as the Department of Work and Puppets — lands with sharp humour while pointing clearly to institutional failure rather than individual deficit.
Structure becomes a form of care. The board outlining each plot point serves as a reminder of what is to come — reassuring, steady, and revealing how much comfort there can be in knowing what happens next. Routine here is not mocked or overcome; it is respected. Access is not added on but fully integrated. The interpreter is woven into the show, moving through the space and responding to the cast in real time.
Responding to subtitles is strange at first — a productive strangeness — reminding us that genuine integration requires adjustment from everyone, to feel at home having 3 languages available simultaneously, not just those most often asked to adapt.
The use of music carry cases is remarkably simple and yet transformative. As they move, the space reshapes itself, demonstrating how environments are continually constructed — and how small shifts can radically change experience.
Each performer is given moments of focus, paying homage to the collective labour and care that animates the piece. I found myself noticing how white the room and the stage were.
It didn’t undo the care or intelligence of the work, but it did linger — a reminder that access and representation are not the same thing, and that some stories are still easier to tell than others. Those moments on stage hold humour, tenderness, and fury — particularly the anger that comes when a support system is removed or withdrawn. This rage is not softened or made palatable; it is held as a justified response to systemic neglect. Silence is one of the production’s most powerful tools. Here, silence feels safe, not abandoning. It slows time, holds the space, and allows us to root for Fred without explanation. Even as a faceless bunraku-style puppet, he feels profoundly human — shaped by attention, care and collective effort.
For those familiar with Housemates, Meet Fred feels like a continuation of Hijinx Theatre’s essential work. It does not ask for a better world — it demonstrates one, and trusts the audience to recognise it.
Meet Fred left me thinking about how often we celebrate access without interrogating who that access is currently working for.
The production models care, patience and integration with clarity and confidence, yet the lingering whiteness of the space suggests that inclusion is never a finished task — even within work that resists dominant systems. This doesn’t diminish the power of the piece. If anything, it sharpens its relevance.
By rejecting institutional logic around disability, Meet Fred opens the door to further questions about race, visibility and whose bodies are most often permitted to take up space — gently, slowly, and without having to explain themselves. Like the show itself, this reflection isn’t a demand. It’s an invitation: to notice, to stay with the discomfort, and to imagine how care might expand if we keep asking who is still missing.
You can find our more about the production and book tickets for the current tour at the link here
Rebecca Reid’s adaptation of the 1992 film of the same name ramps up the tension and psychological thrills as Single White Female takes to the Donald Gordon stage at the WMC. The 34-year-old classic film is brought bang up to date with Reid’s references to social media, Mounjaro, Vinted and Matcha Lattes! It ensures that the story remains timeless and relevant to a modern-day audience.
The set is exceptionally designed; detailed enough to mean we totally believe that we are inside a small city flat shared by mother and daughter, and claustrophobic enough to mean that the tension is ramped up exponentially once the action starts proper. The sound effects of the temperamental building also add to the drama, as both actors and audience react to the sudden moans and groans of the old city block. Light and darkness are used to great effect too, with the stage plunging into darkness for the passage of time with lights streaming around the proscenium arch, showing us both the passage of time and increasing the feeling of unease throughout the audience.
In a small but mighty cast, each actor delivers here, in absolute spades. Lisa Faulkner is completely believable as divorcee Allie; doggedly working to set up her business and make a better life for herself and daughter, Bella. She captures the growing uncertainty around roommate Hedy perfectly, adding complete believability to the final climactic action of the show. Allie’s friend, Graham, is brought perfectly to life by Andro, who ably adds a slice of well needed comedy to the piece. He is a great balance to Faulkner’s Allie.
Jonny McGarrity as Sam and Amy Snudden as Bella complete the cast. Their exchanges as slightly absent father and daughter are delivered very well; their interactions completely believable and realistic. McGarrity walks the line between deadbeat ex and trying father very well, it is very hard to dislike his charming swagger. Snudden captures the physicality of teenage girl with ease, in turns sassy and awkward, clashing with Allie at one moment and craving her mother’s affection in the next.
Kym Marsh portrays Hedy perfectly here, building the unease with expertise. She begins as an incredibly likeable new lodger and the descent into unbalance is cleverly woven into her performance. Her presence is commanding and instantly makes you want to see exactly what the nefarious Hedy is getting up to in this scene!
This could feel like a dated piece with the inspirational material now being over 33 years old, but this is a clever adaptation that is easily accessible whether you’ve seen the source material or not. It’s a great evening of theatre; one that’ll have you gasping and on the edge of your seat throughout.
Based on the hit television series sharing the same name, This production is a well crafted reimagining of ITV’s long-running Inspector Morse, hailed by Radio Times as ‘The greatest British crime series of all time’.
Inspector Morse- House of Ghosts written by Alma Cullen based on the characters by Colin Dexter offers a new generation of Morse fans to take a look behind the scenes of a production of Macbeth and view the unraveling web of lies and deception in real time. Director Anthony Banks plays well with the balance of comedic devices and well placed quips alongside the harsh themes of Suicide, Marital affairs, Deceit and Murder. This adaptation is the first of its kind and is an impressive reimagining from the screen to the stage, staying true to the original tone of the well loved television classic.
The manipulation of perspective allows the cast to shift the audience and place them exactly where they are needed, with limited set this directional choice was fundamental in creating various locations and moments in the piece so that we too are moving with the performers through the story as it unravels.
The titular character of Inspector Morse is played by the notable Actor Tom Chambers who is dedicated in his performance of this beloved character. His physicality was instrumental in capturing the essence of the inspector, blending the inspectors stolid professional life with his desire to peruse a romantic relationship with Ellen. Another performer of note was the delightful Jason Done responsible for the role of the antagonistic Director Lawrence and the contrasting saintly Father Paul. The juxtaposition between these roles allowed us to see the extensive range of the performer, from the notable change in vocal mannerisms to the way in which each character held themselves we were engrossed with Jason’s performance from the moment he entered the auditorium.
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Inspector Morse- House of Ghosts at the New Theatre Cardiff is a delightful evening for Morse enthusiasts and fans of detective fiction and mystery alike. The production hides nothing from the exposed wings to the secrets laced within the delicious writing, the lighting and set design much like the writing plays with the light and dark elements of the production. A great evening of entertainment that leaves you wanting more.
Russ Williams is an author who enjoys exploring the often overlooked aspects of Welsh culture. His debut book Where the Folk: A Welsh Folklore Road Triplooks at the history and origins of some of the country’s most influential folktales.
When we think of fairies, we tend to think of pleasant, winged little darlings here to make our dreams come true with a wave of their sparkling magic wands. You’d be forgiven for thinking they would make for rather laughable foes in any horror film, yet in Rabbit Trap, the latest feature film to bring Welsh folklore to the big screen, they are anything but. That is because the film draws inspiration from Wales’ answer to the fairy myth; the Tylwyth Teg. And in Welsh fairy tales, people rarely live happily ever after.
This psychological horror, produced by Anglesey-based production company Mad as Birds, follows the story of married couple Darcy (played by Dev Patel) and Daphne (Rosy McEwen), who have relocated from London to a house in rural Wales, seemingly so that professional singer Daphne can focus on her new album. Darcy spends most of his days capturing natural audio clips for Daphne’s new record and it is these field recordings which ultimately invite a malevolent force into their home, which arrives in the form of a nameless child (played by Merthyr Tydfil actor Jade Croot) who just won’t go away. The film stays true to the lore of the Tylwyth Teg, blending different aspects together to portray these Welsh fairies in the way our ancestors would have imagined them; as powerful beings that should be avoided at all cost.
Throughout Wales, Tylwyth Teg take many forms and their nature and motivations vary. Many locales have a story about a ‘Lady of the Lake’; beautiful women who would appear near ponds or lakes and marry a local mortal, an arrangement that inevitably ended in tragedy. Bodies of water were once believed to be places where the veil between our world and that of the fairies was at its thinnest and the film subtly references this. Other tales tell of how the Tylwyth Teg would kidnap human children and replace them with Plant Newid, Wales’ answer to the Changeling, a piece of lore integral to the film’s narrative. Our ancestors would also leave out gifts for the Tylwyth Teg (more often as a peace offering) or would adorn their homes with various charms believed to ward off those benevolent tricksters, something else that is represented well.
Another important bit of lore integral to the plot of Rabbit Trap is the link between the Tylwyth Teg and music. There are many tales of how the Tylwyth Teg used music to lure people into a trance, such as the story of poor Ned Puw, doomed to play his fiddle for all eternity in the gloomy depths of Tal Clegir Cave. As terrifying as they were, Welsh fairies loved a good party and the ruined state of Pennard Castle on the Gower Peninsula is testament to what happens when humans try to stop them from having a good time. The story goes that the tyrannical lord who once dwelled there denied entrance to a band of fairies who wanted to join his daughter’s wedding party; they responded by conjuring up a sandstorm and engulfing the castle and all those within.
This isn’t the first film to introduce Welsh folklore to the world. The classic 1985 animated dark fantasy The Black Cauldron borrows heavily from the Mabinogion and was based on a series of books called The Chronicles of Prydain (Prydain being the Welsh word for Britain), which reimagine Welsh mythology with a fresh narrative. The titular cauldron itself is inspired by the Pair Dadeni (Cauldron of Rebirth) from the Second Branch of the Mabinogion, which the Irish used to gain the upper hand in a war against the Welsh.
Then there’s the more recent eco-horror film Gwledd/The Feast (2017), in which the character Cadi is portrayed as a Nature Spirit, punishing the family for their desire to harm the land. The popular ‘Lady of the Lake’ tales I mentioned do indeed end in tragedy, but mostly due to the destructive nature of humans – sometimes one needs to look inward to find the real monster. Then there’s The Green Knight (2021), which also stars Dev Patel. Loosely based on the epic 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it features St. Winifred’s Well (there’s no shortage of holy wells here in Wales) and Cewri (Welsh giants).
References in other films are less obvious and may surprise you, such as Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). Hayao Miyazaki, one of the studio’s founders, grew an affinity for Wales after falling in love with the landscape, language and architecture following a visit here and he based much of the animation on the sights he had seen here. The titular wizard Howl even speaks a bit of Welsh. The film was based on a book by Diana Wynn Jones, which tells the story of a Welshman who becomes a wizard after visiting a magical land.
Rabbit Trap does a great job of bringing the scarier aspects of Welsh folklore to the big screen and proves that stories about Tylwyth Teg aren’t just for children. Hopefully it will encourage other filmmakers to look to Welsh folklore for inspiration, as there is certainly no shortage of stories to choose from. One of my personal favourites is the tragic tale of doomed lovers Rhys and Meinir, which concerns an old wedding tradition of a game of bridal hide-and-seek that goes terribly wrong. There’s also the legend of Cantref Gwaelod, the ‘Welsh Atlantis’ that was lost to the sea somewhere off Cardigan Bay thanks to the intoxicated gatekeeper, Seithenyn.
Then there’s a whole pantheon of terrifying Welsh monsters, such as the banshee-like Gwrach-y-Rhibyn, a monstrous hag who would appear out of the mist and drain the blood of her victims; the goblin-like Coblynau who terrorised Welsh miners and even followed them to Welsh settlements in America; and the demonic black mastiff Y Gwyllgi with its glowing red eyes, who attacked those foolish enough to travel along lonely country lanes at night. But filmmakers shouldn’t feel restricted to folk horror; just think of the epic fantasies we could adapt from the tales of the Mabinogion; stories of quarrelling dynasties, dragons and powerful wizards.
The Welsh have always been great storytellers; hopefully this is the start of a new trend that will allow us to share them with the world.
Rabbit Trapis coming to cinemas across the UK from January 30, 2026.
The film has various connections to Wales including production company Mad as Birds and Merthyr Tydfil actor Jade Croot. Rabbit Trap was partly filmed in North Wales.
This article was commissioned by Film Hub Wales as part of its Made in Wales project, which celebrates films with Welsh connections, thanks to funding from Creative Wales and the National Lottery via the BFI.
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, BA (Hons) Design for Performance, student, Bea Massey studied at Radyr Comprehensive School, Cardiff. She recently arranged with the school teaching staff, for Radyr pupils to attend the RWCMD workshops in Llanishen for an exciting hands on workshop to give an insight into the types of course of study at college. In this interview Bea gives us an overview of this activity.
Hi Bea, you are currently studying Foundation Scenic Construction on the Design for Performance degree at RWCMD — what first sparked your interest in scenic construction and working behind the scenes for live performance?
After leaving 6th form at Radyr Comprehensive school I went straight into a Foundation Degree in Scenic Construction at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. I graduated that two-year course in the summer, and I am now completing the optional 3rd year which allows me to graduate with a full BA degree qualification in Design for Performance
Credit Kirsten McTernan
I have always loved the theatre. Even from a young age, my mum and I would go to see plays, ballets, operas, and musicals whenever we could, which led me to take drama as a GCSE at Radyr Comp. I never really liked to be on stage though; I was more interested in what happened behind the scenes. At my first high school I joined the Drama club being a stagehand, and when I was doing the practical element of my drama GCSE, I opted to do the lighting for my group instead of acting. I was one of the only students to ever do this at Radyr, but I was so happy when they allowed it and encouraged me to explore this option more.
When it came time to think about universities, I hated the thought of doing an academically centred course, I wanted to work with my hands with a more practical course. I had some thoughts of doing an apprenticeship with the construction company my dad worked for, but then Screen Alliance Wales (SAW) came to give a presentation, and they talked about all of the careers you could have in film, TV or theatre and this really appealed to me.
I started looking into courses that did theatre lighting, as that was the only thing I had any experience in, and I found an Open Day at RWCMD for stage management and scenic construction. I went and immediately fell in love with the vibe of the college. I saw the theatre spaces and the sets they had set up but then I went to the Llanishen workshop, and I knew I HAD to get onto the scenic construction course!
Credit Kirsten McTernan
You have arranged for students and teaching staff from your old school, Radyr Comprehensive to visit the RWCMD workshop. What inspired you to create this opportunity?
Inviting Radyr students to the workshop began as a way to include them in the making of the set for their Footloose production and giving them a better understanding of what goes into set building and painting. The College workshop has a relationship with the Drama Dept at school and this was a great way to develop it. I also wanted to give young people an opportunity to see what other career paths are available (like SAW did for me) and for them to see that these options are available to anyone.
Many young people don’t realise how many career paths exist in the creative industries. What do you wish you had known about scenic construction or backstage careers when you were in school?
I wish I had known that these kind of university and career paths were available at an earlier age. When you are younger, and in schools, your perception of theatre and the arts is purely in the acting and performance side. Very rarely do schools push for opportunities to work on the production side of shows so it is hard to visualise these as a career opportunity. I was lucky at Radyr as they allowed me to go down the lighting route for my drama GCSE which eventually led me to my university course in scenic construction, but I feel like it was a rough path to get to this point. If I had known about stage management and scenery making, then I may have found myself here sooner with more experience under my belt.
The Llanishen workshop is a huge, state-of-the-art space. For someone who hasn’t visited before, what’s it like to walk into that environment for the first time?
Walking into Llanishen workshop really is a breath-taking moment. For me it secured my decision to go to RWCMD for the Foundation Degree in Scenic Construction. I just knew that I wanted to learn in that environment and eventually work in similar environments! The workshop showcases so many previous students work that it feels very exciting that you could one day be making sets and props at that level for programmes like Dr Who or His Dark Materials
Credit Kirsten McTernan
How important is hands-on learning in your course? Can you share an example of a practical task or project that really changed the way you think about the craft?
The Foundation degree in Scenic Construction and the Foundation degree in Scenic Arts, are both almost entirely hands on work. This makes it ideal for kinaesthetic learners, and you tend to pick up skills quicker as it is a fair amount of repetition of skills. A key moment of both courses which really change your view of the craft is the first time you work on a production block – working on sets for college shows. You really understand the flow and pace a workshop requires and the speed and quality required of your skills.
Bea working on a set at the RWCMD Llanishen Workshop
What do you hope the visiting Radyr students take away from their time in the workshop? Are there any specific skills or “lightbulb moments” you’d love them to experience?
We hope that the students will walk away from their visit to our workshop with a realistic view on what a career in the creative arts could look like. That they can see that there is more to art courses and more to drama courses than is widely known, and that there are many more options for them after high school! Ideally, we hope that a few would take an interest into specifically the courses that our college provide, however a wider horizon for their futures is the main goal.
A lot of 16–25 year olds worry that creative careers aren’t “real jobs.” As someone training for a specialist backstage role, how would you respond to that concern?
I think that as a society we have put a lot of pressure for young people to want so called “real jobs” but in actual fact all paid work is a real job! You do not have to be a doctor or a teacher to feel good about your career, if your work excites you and you are paid your worth, then any job is a valued one. I mean some people pay the rent by kicking a ball around! The path I am heading down may not always mean financial/job security, as I may need to work freelance, but this is a possibility I am willing to take on to do a job I enjoy and find fulfilling. Also, at RWCMD we have lectures about finance, being a freelancer, how to apply for grants, and other useful topics for entering the work force after college.
Bea working on the get in for The Sweet Science of Bruising in the Bute Theatre at RWCMD.
If a young person reading this is curious about backstage work but isn’t sure where to start, what would you suggest they do next — any courses, experiences, or first steps you’d recommend?
I would recommend going to as many open days as possible and gain a good understanding on every niche backstage role you could work towards. I would also recommend looking at Screen Alliance Wales’s website as they provide tours, courses, and shadow placements for a wide variety of workplaces.
The visit was supported by Mrs Power, Head of Music at Radyr, Comprehensive School, she kindly chatted with us about the workshop.
Mrs Power, what made you feel this was RWCMD Workshop was an important opportunity for your students?
An insight into options post A level will inspire our young people in the areas they could get involved with as a possible career. Its a great opportunity for our students from the Art Music and Drama Departments to mix and work with young people slightly older themselves who are training for careers in the Creative Industries, its gives them some ownership of their future career pathways.
For many young people, the backstage world feels hidden. Why do you think it’s valuable for students to experience hands-on creative work rather than just hearing about it?
Its real, authentic and engaging, our students will definitely remember today! We value the informal conversations between the groups of young people today. It great for them to speak to Bea who is so enthusiastic.
Why is it important for schools and creative institutions like RWCMD to work together when it comes to showing young people the full landscape of creative industries in Wales?
As a teacher you are there to deliver the curriculum every week, we very much value these types of opportunities today, it inspires and invigorates our students to achieve in school as they can see what’s possible as they develop and mature. We have been lucky enough o have music students and lecturing staff to come into school and share their knowledge with our staff and students. They provide life changing opportunities.
It was never going to be easy. The task of staging the celebrated 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption and the 1994 film version starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, would be marked by the setting of a very high bar indeed. With this production, writers Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns have met the challenge with aplomb.
The story centres around the miscarriage of justice meted out to Andy Dufresne, who is now serving a double life sentence for murdering his wife and daughter, at the Shawshank Maximum Security Penitentiary (“The Shank”). Narrated via Andy’s friend Red, we learn the fate of the protagonist told over two decades of incarceration, creating a vivid depiction of corruption, bullying and violent abuse.
Joe McFadden (Holby City; winner, Strictly Come Dancing), shines in the role of Andy. Capturing his obvious intelligence and skill in accounting, desire to do anything he can to make the lives of (most of) his fellow inmates a little more tolerable, while at the same time delivering a steely character and a fastidiousness many on the outside would fail to achieve, McFadden manages to inject a boyish charm into the role, difficult to achieve when portraying an alleged double murderer.
The role of Ellis “Red” Redding is played by Ben Onwakwe (London’s Burning; Professor T). Drawing the audience in to the narrative with his witty, sardonic storytelling, Onwakwe is a fitting contrast to McFadden, portraying Red as a world-weary prison fixer who has seen it all. Shout-outs must also go to Kenneth Jay as poor old Brooksie, terrified of gaining parole as he feared lack of purpose on leaving his role as prison librarian, and Bill Ward as Warden Stammas, a frightening figure open to corruption and intimidation with a vicious cruel streak thrown in.
The prison setting worked extremely well in being versatile enough to depict the prisoners’ cells, the courtyard, the refectory and the library with a few deft adjustments. A one-colour greyness enveloped the stage, which is only augmented by the blue denim of the inmates and their drab shirts. With a few more switches of furniture, we are transported to the parole office, all carried out seamlessly and with conviction.
And what a joyous scene to end the play, with Red leaving the prison then a clever switch of scene (kudos here to the lighting team) to a full backdrop of Andy on his long-dreamt-of Mexican beach at sunset in Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sandals. Reminiscent of a Martin Parr colour-saturated photograph, the contrast with, and relief following, the dreary prison interior, was palpable amongst the audience members around me, and a fitting ending to a glorious production.
The productions runs till the 17th Jan. You can find out more and purchase tickets here
What better way to talk about how Tempo Time Credits work than sharing an amazing ruby match in the capital of Wales! Last Saturday I was lucky enough to head down to Cardiff Arms Park to watch Cardiff Rugby take on Racing 92 in the EPCR Challenge Cup — and the best bit? I did it with Tempo Time Credits. What a brilliant way to turn volunteering into unforgettable moments!
What Are Tempo Time Credits?
If you haven’t yet come across them, Tempo Time Credits are a simple but powerful way of rewarding and thanking people for the time they volunteer in their communities. Members of the Network earn 1 Time Credit for every hour you volunteer. You can spend those credits on a huge range of activities and experiences offered by Tempo’s network of partners — from theatre tickets to museum entry, to sport and more.
I’ve earned mine through administrating and helping out with Get the Chance. Get the Chance works to create opportunities for a diverse range of people to experience and respond to sport, arts, culture and live events.
How to Use Tempo Time Credits to Get a Rugby Ticket
Here’s how it works,
Earn your Time Credits by volunteering with a Tempo partner organisation (like us!).
Log in to your Tempo online account and click to redeem your credits for available activities.
Search for activities by location and interest — in my case I looked for Cardiff Rugby or sports events.
Select the match and confirm your booking using your credits — it’s often as simple as an online voucher, booking code or email confirmation.
For the Cardiff Ruby match I just emailed the team at Cardiff Rugby, quoting my Tempo ID and they then booked two tickets for me and sent me the electronic tickets by return of email. It’s incredibly straightforward and that part always feels like a reward in itself!
Getting to Cardiff Arms Park
If you haven’t been before, Cardiff Arms Park sits right in the heart of Cardiff’s city centre, next to the iconic Principality Stadium, so it’s super easy to find! I took the train into Cardiff Central, and from there it’s only about a 10-minute walk to the ground.
There’s no match-day parking on site, but plenty of public transport options around, and a whole host of city centre car parks nearby if driving is your preference.
The Match Experience
There’s nothing like walking up the street towards the Arms Park on a match day. The atmosphere builds with every step — supporters in scarves and colours, families gathering, friends meeting up — you feel it before you even get in through the gates.
To get into the card I just had to show my electronic ticket at the turnstile and have the QR code scanned. There are lots of staff onsite who can show you the way if you haven’t been before.
Then the game kicks off — and what a spectacle it was! Cardiff Rugby against Racing 92, two teams giving everything in front of a buzzing crowd. Being there live with the roar of supporters, the tension of pivotal plays and the thrill of big hits — well, it reminded me why live sport really matters.
Half-Time… Food and Drinks!Final Score
Half-time at the Arms Park is a highlight in itself. There are plenty of refreshment options on offer — from classic match-day favourites like hot pies, burgers and chips, to coffee and snacks. There are also bars and stands inside and outside the ground where you can grab a drink and chat with fellow fans.
Whether you’re catching up with friends about the first-half action or just soaking up the atmosphere, it’s a great chance to relax before the second half.
Final Score
Cardiff took a huge stride towards the Challenge Cup knockouts with a determined, 32-13, bonus-point home win over Racing 92 in front of a buzzing Arms Park crowd.
Why I Love Tempo Time Credits
Using Tempo Time Credits to go to a rugby match like that felt brilliant. Not only do you get rewarded for giving back — you can try new things, and share those experiences with friends or family. Whether it’s sport, theatre, or a day out somewhere new, Tempo opens so many doors!
Ready to Get Involved?
If you’ve not signed up yet, now’s a great time. Join the Tempo Time Credit network, start volunteering, and start racking up credits! Head to wearetempo.org to sign up, browse opportunities, and see where your credits can take you next.
Let’s get out there, try new things, and make some memories — thanks to Tempo!
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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