(5 / 5)

“Housemates” drums up an inclusive revolution

Based on a true story in Cardiff, a serendipitous encounter between Jim, a Cardiff University student, and Alan, a lifelong resident of Ely Hospital born with Down’s syndrome, sparked a profound shift in the realm of care and support. Alan yearned for a place to call home and had a dream: to join a band. Jim, on the other hand, aspired to change the world, though he wasn’t sure how to make it happen.

Hijinx, a leading inclusive theatre company, partnered with the Sherman Theatre to create an extraordinary gem of a theatrical performance that takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotion and reflection. “Housemates” isn’t just a play; it’s a profound exploration of the human spirit.

Set against the spirited backdrop of the 1970s, “Housemates” introduces us to a robust cast of seven neurodivergent and neurotypical actor-musicians who infuse the narrative with a powerful soundtrack featuring classics from T. Rex and Sweet. Playwright Tim Green dedicated two to three years to bring this story to life. Co-director Ben Pettitt-Wade emphasizes the significance of visibility, inclusivity, and the transformative power of human connections within our society. Co-director Joe Murphy underscores the exceptional nature of this story, one that embodies inspiration while remaining curiously overlooked in Cardiff.

The wonderful ‘70s costumes and the inventive set by Carl Davies transports us to the world of Ely Hospital in 1970s Cardiff. With its green-tiled floor, occasionally scattered with blown orange leaves, and a well-worn wall where the band resides, it visually captivates.

“Housemates” brims with humour and gentle clowning but is unafraid to tackle serious issues. The play courageously sheds light on the derogatory language of the past, such as the dehumanizing term “subnormals” and the terrible legislation of yesteryear like the 1886 Idiot’s Act and the Mental Deficiency Act 1913, which saw over 100,000 people institutionalized.

Actors masterfully navigate delicate subjects with a finesse that is both poignant and humorous. “Are you going to take the ‘angry pill’?” asks the female nurse before the male nurse strong-arms Alan. In another moment, Alan proclaims, “I want sex! In the house… it’ll be like… I am a sex God!” This statement is met with uproarious applause from the audience.

The set is as flexible as it is imaginative, with props ingeniously transforming: a metal frame becomes a bus stop, a trolley of books symbolizes the library, and a hospital bed serves as Alan’s room. Papers tossed in the air symbolize the persistence of the characters as the house application is denied, eventually leading to their triumphant departure from the hospital, each clutching their belongings in bin bags.

The culmination of this incredible journey occurs as Alan triumphantly declares, “This is my house!” Bedecked in a David Bowie-esque costume, he takes to the drums, igniting the stage with electrifying rock ‘n’ roll energy. Alan’s heartfelt dream becomes a reality, culminating in a grand finale with him shining as a drummer, joined by the entire cast as well as extra actors from the Hijinx Academy. Beneath the societal transformation lies the profoundly personal journey of an individual who, after a lifetime within hospital walls, discovers his own stage as a rock star in his own home in Cardiff.

“Housemates” offers a multifaceted theatrical experience, delivering laughter, tears, and a nostalgic journey. With an anarchic and rebellious flair, the show inspires us to close the absurd ways in which neurodivergent people were treated and motivate us to create change and end injustice.

The show is a tale about being genuinely inclusive; it’s about home, identity, and ultimately about taking action. It’s an extraordinary odyssey through time, friendship, and societal transformation both within and without, captivating audiences at the Sherman Theatre, which coincidentally celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Tiago Gambogi
@tiagogambogi, Dance Theatre Artist, https://linktr.ee/tiagogambogi

(4 / 5)

The Importance of Being…Earnest?

Many of my generation will best know the classic story of John ‘Jack’ Worthing and Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, two bachelors who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives, through the 2002 movie adaptation starring Colin Firth, Dame Judy Dench, and Rupert Everett amongst other big names. The men attempting to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to only love men called Ernest. The pair struggle to keep up with their own stories and become tangled in a tale of deception, disguise, and misadventure. The elaborate plot ridicules Victorian sensibilities with some of the best loved, and indeed eccentric, characters to be found on the modern stage. First performed in 1895 and published in 1899 it is a satire of Victorian social hypocrisy and considered Wilde’s greatest dramatic achievement.

So then, it is a rather genius idea to take this classic tale turn it into a production where audience members take on the main roles- taking the theme of identity (or rather mistaken identity!) to the next level!

The Importance of Being…Earnest? begins in a Victorian household, complete with your typical English butler. The set is constant throughout aside from the odd addition to imply a change of location. It is simple but effective- particularly the window which, on occasion, doubles as a metaphorical window, into the lives of the actors. This window allows us as the audience to take a peek ‘backstage’ as our characters have heated discussions, enjoy an off-stage smoke, or argue about what’s going to happen next unless the actor playing Ernest decides to turn up!

The play starts as any production of The Importance of Being Earnest might start, but it’s clear that this is the calm before the storm as we experience a long, awkward pause as Algernon and Lane introduce Mr Ernest Worthing. This continues with titters from the audience as stage manager Josh and director Simon break the fourth wall in a panic and ask if there’s a member of the audience who could step into his shoes (literally!) Thus, ensues improvised and organised chaos as members of the audience are plucked out to play various roles- reading from scripts, being shoved around the stage by the pros, shouting out lines from signs held up by other audience members and having lines whispered aside. There are many clever japes including actors pretending to don clothing they’re already wearing due to having to start the play again, solo sword fighting or conversations with the air as the audience member has no idea where they’re meant to be standing and some fantastic, over the top physical theatre!

The casting is perfect but special mention must go to Guido Garcia Lueches as Algernon and Rhys Tees as Lane who are the perfect comedy partnership on stage. They set the scene and really carry the piece throughout. Other noteworthy performances include Lucy Trodd as Lady Bracknell whose take on how to be an ‘ac-TOR’ provides a hilarious comedy skit when she attempts to teach the audience member playing Ernest how to, well, play Ernest! Also, Trynity Silk as Gwendolen is a triumph, particularly as the play unravels and she gets more and more merry- having had one too many glasses of the real wine rather than the prop wine!

My only qualm throughout was that it appeared the audience members taking on the two lead roles were somewhat prepared and/or had been planted. For me, this took away some of the comedy magic that can be provided in using audience members as part of a performance. However, I have since learnt that Say it Again, Sorry? have an open-door policy during rehearsals, so it is possible certain audience members may have already had a glimpse into what would be happening on stage that evening.

Say it Again, Sorry? began back in 2018 when Artistic Director Simon Paris set up The Lab Workshops developing his own craft and supporting actors with their acting technique. The team decided that their mission would be to connect people to their inner artist. The Importance of Being…Earnest emerged in 2019 and previewed at The Pleasance Theatre in Islington and has since grown and developed and become a great success- selling out at EdFringe in 2021 and taking on a UK tour in 2023/24.

The Importance of Being…Earnest? continues its tour at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry from November 2^nd-4^th and ends at the Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen on July 5^th, 2024. To book your tickets head to the website-

The Importance of Being…Earnest? (interactiveearnest.co.uk)

The Company have requested the note below, which we are happy to facilitate

“The company would like it to be known that there are no plants or prepared audience members that are used during this show, the smoothness of their audience interaction is a testament to their craft and honing.”

Cast:

Guido Garcia Lueches- Algernon

Trynity Silk- Gwendolen

Rhys Tees- Lane

Ben Mann- Josh

Josh Haberfield/Tom Bulpett – Simon Slough

Amy Cook Hodgson/Lucy Trodd – Lady Bracknell

Brendan Barclay- George

Creatives:

Simon Paris- Director

Josh King- Writer

Images Mark Douet

(5 / 5)

I think that it is a universal fact that during lockdown many of us picked up new hobbies in the hope that it would help that extended periods of loneliness pass by quicker. One of my many lockdown obsessions was checking out new concept albums/recordings of new musicals from all around the world. Whilst on my quest to find my new musical obsession, I discovered a musical called Our Lands Own which told the story of the gruesome Merthyr Rising riots that happened a short drive from my home. It was absurd to me that such a massive moment in history happened a short drive from my house and I never even knew about it! Since then I have become fascinated with not only with the interesting intersection of history/musical but especially lesser-known Welsh history! The brand new play Housemates explores the purposefully hidden, behind-the-scenes investigations into Ely Hospital and the terrible series of events that have been documented there but also the origin story of assisted living schemes both of which took place in my own hometown!

Housemates the play tells the story of an innocently eager person called Jim (played flawlessly by Peter Mooney) who makes the spontaneous decision to volunteer his time walking two hospital respondents, namely on an unassuming walk to the local park. On this adventure, Jim begins to see some of the discrimination and harassment that hospital residents face which only gets worse as he begins investigating into the daily life of the hospital residents which results in immense anger on his behalf. This outrage caused Jim to investigate ways in which to properly integrate the residents into the community which led to the first ever assisting living programme where the patients lived with students. We follow Jim as he campaigns for this programme to be trialled in 12 Ruthin Gardens in Cardiff.

What was particularly interesting about this show was the fact that the production actually began before the audience had even taken their seats! The moment we stepped into the main auditorium at Sherman Theatre Cardiff, we were greeted by a lively band as if we had joined them during a gig in a local pub. They performed a plethora of iconic hits, as well as the expected chit chat that happens with a band during song transitions. This idea of a band-fuelled performance reappeared at the end of the show where the lead character Alan becomes the lead singer of his own band (donning a David Bowie-inspired ensemble and busting out his own drum solo) which helps to create a cohesive, circular narrative for audience.

The highlights of this production, however, were very clearly the characters Alan and Heather (played by Gareth John and Lindsay Foster respectively) who delivered a masterclass in comedic timing throughout! These two talented individuals had myself (and the audience) in hysterics throughout while simultaneously exposing the terrible and intense experiences of people in mental hospitals at the time. It is incredibly difficult to provide both a plethora of comedic moments while also generating sympathy from the audience by the bucket full. The two performers took us on a rollercoaster from eye-watering laughter to heart-wrenching sadness which is no easy feat but these two performers appeared to take it in the stride! One of my favourite moments in the entire production was when Alan and Heather got to experience their first live band performance and they exploded into a totally euphoric dance sequence that was just a pure joy to watch! It was clear that these two were having so much fun being on the stage and that radiated throughout but especially during this specific moment. We went from this moment of pure joy to a deeply heartbreaking scene where Alan shared the abuse he had experienced while under the care of the hospital. The most uplifting moment of the entire show however happened at the end of the show when the entire cast highlighted the success of the assisted living experiment and began listing off all the asylums that shut down due to this scheme (started in Cardiff) being a success. There was something about each person shouting the name of the hospital while scrunching the paper up and throwing it into the bin that was incredibly powerful and had myself very close to tears! I also found it immensely impressive that the band from earlier in the show were able to quickly switch from an accompanying band to an on-stage character. I can barely do each of these things on their own neither switching so quickly which was an incredible display of insane talent!

Overall, Housemates is a powerful piece of theatre that shines a light on a sparsely discussed area of Cardiff’s history! Despite only being just over one hour long, the grounded and honest portrayals captivated the audience and made every moment feel as if it was happening in real-time/the time frame the events actually took place. The production made every single person in the audience experience the length and breadth of human emotion while simultaneously highlighting a key part of Welsh history. I would rate this production 5 out of 5 stars!