Having seen this earlier this year and not reviewing it, I thought it time I gave my reviewing fingers a go.
If you didn’t know;
& Juliet is the 2019 coming-of-age stage musical featuring the music of Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin, with a book by David West Read (Schitt’s Creek).
This is where I don’t want to say any further about the plot, as you may think you know, but trust me you don’t.
Max Martin’s songs are neatly interwoven into this tale of a “what if” scenario, where Juliet does not die at the end of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
You’ll be watching, listening, and thinking “who sung this originally”. Just me? Okay, just me.
The script by David West Reid is perfectly pitched and interweaves the songs quite nicely. The pace feels familiar (as does the music), and you won’t feel the songs are shoehorned into the story as can sometimes happen with other jukebox musicals. Okay, this isn’t Mamma Mia, but it feels fresh and fun and is the perfect accompaniment to a good night out – do try and not sing along though as that can be a bit annoying!
As I’ve said I’ve seen this earlier this year with Keala Settle as Angelique (just amazing), and I think apart from a few other cast changes on the evening, the cast was the same.
Miriam-Teak Lee as Juliet is amazing, as is Cassidy Janson as Anne Hathaway – her version of Celine Dion’s “That’s the way it is”, is probably up there as my favourite Celine cover! There was a little bit of Fenella Fielding in her portrayal of Will Shakespeare’s wife – together with Karen Walker from Will & Grace! Just loved it. Oliver Tompsett as William Shakespeare is sublime and fun to watch in his other guises. You maybe getting the idea I liked this production, if you haven’t so far, we can’t really be friends, because I loved it!
My only concern is the shelf life of the music. Some of the songs are over 20 years old, and as anyone in radio knows, some songs burn out with being overplayed. & Juliet is finishing in the West End in March 2023, so that’s a good time to be able to rest it in it’s current guise (specially since the Shaftesbury Theatre will be undergoing a transformation), but I’m also guessing a UK tour will be on the cards. The Broadway version started on October 28th 2022, and I’m sure it’ll do amazingly across the pond, and in the UK a tour will bring new life (and fans) into this little piece of musical history.
Before I end, one thing of note – the story maybe called & Juliet, but like another musical named after a historical person (rhymes with Samilton), maybe this story too isn’t actually about the one female protagonist?
In an afternoon of light delights the sibling brilliance of Agata & Wojciech Szymczewski delighted the audience at the Royal Welsh. This was very much the definition of the ‘Polish miniature’, fairly light music though not without the weight of it’s country’s history and culture.
The Legend and Kujawiak of Wieniawski is pretty famous, certainly the most familiar music on the programme. I still remain unsure about the true value of Chopin (this will land me in trouble), though hearing his Mazurka in A minor remained a pleasure. To see this brother and sister play feels like an honour, Agata on violin remains such a force the instrument seems to capture to her every whim. It is as if she was born to play the violin and every second with her proves her gusto and passion for her nation’s music. On piano, Wojciech also offers some fabulous insights, his accompaniment never wains in his intimacy with his sister. Though these pieces are very much chances to show off the violin proper, Wojciech makes a perfect companion for the journey.
New discoveries in the Polish repertoire would see work by Bacewicz and Adam Wroński, which delighted in openness and charming nature of the writing. The air is very Polish, some whispers of the country’s great folk music culture passed through. The essence of the fiddle lived in this brief concert. The Cradle Song of Szymanowski proved a much more ‘modern’ affair, the traditions still invited and present, though the drabness of it’s features might turn some off. Still, it had a beauty of its own, distilled and abstract, a piece that’s demands some effort and attention.
We’d welcome back these siblings anytime to Cardiff.
There’s nothing quite like that Ealing feeling: the slew of indubitably British comedies that raised the spirits of postwar Blighty. There’s misbehaviour, yes – Kind Hearts and Coronets, for one, has more deaths than an episode of Game of Thrones – but it’s all done in a rather genial fashion. In Ealing comedies, hoodlums don spiffy suits and jaunty bowler hats, and stop to wish you a good day after they’ve mugged you. This is the spirit which infuses the new touring production of The Lavender Hill Mob, widely considered one of the finest British films of all time, which performs at the New Theatre in Cardiff this week.
Directed by Jeremy Sams and adapted from T.E.B. Clarke’s 1951 screenplay by Phil Porter, The Lavender Hill Mob follows Henry Holland (Miles Jupp), an unassuming bank clerk now living like a king in Rio. His unlikely rise has inspired a film director (Guy Burgess) to put Holland’s story in the movies – leading Holland and his entourage to re-enact the tale with much theatrical aplomb. It’s as funny as you might expect from a show which is led by two proud alumni of The Thick of It, with Jupp channelling Alec Guinness’ breezy RP charm and Justin Edwards doing an uncanny evocation of the great Stanley Holloway as the befuddled Pendlebury.
Holland’s friends are played by Tessa Churchard, John Dougall, Victoria Blunt, Aamira Challenger and Tim Sutton, with much of the laugh out loud moments coming from their playing of multiple of roles, each one more chaotic than the last. There’s a car chase in Calais, a mad dash through London, and the iconic scene on the Eiffel Tower (on whose novelty souvenirs the plot hinges).
While the heist never quite reaches the comic heights of its original, it’s a consistently amusing and well-played caper, with all the charm of its classic counterpart. For fans of modern comedies like The Play that Goes Wrong, it’s a night of fun and frolics – with The Lavender Hill Mob, you’ll be in criminally good company.
The Lavender Hill Mob is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff until Saturday 5 November. For more information and to book tickets, click here.
The Festival of Voice/Gwyl y Llais was established in 2016 it’s Cardiff’s annual festival and is held at the magnificent Wales Millenium Centre, Butetown.
This year The Festival of Voice has been rebranded as Llais, meaning ‘voice’ (the English name of the festival has been dropped). The 5-day festival is like no other, it offers a real mix of events, free and ticketed, immersive art, and a celebration of internationally acclaimed artists through a range of live, exciting, diverse music.
I arrived at the Donald Gordon Stage just as the combined choir of Cwmdare Voices and Pelenna Valley Male Voice started their performance of classics, if you’ve never seen a Welsh Male Voice Choir perform live, then sort yourself out and go see one! Oh my days, your soul will be filled with pleasure and forever thankful it had the experience. Not wanting to sound biased but nobody does it better than the Welsh – fact!
I was beyond thrilled to be seeing Brett Anderson (need I say, Suede frontman) perform something new after what seemed like forever. He was joined on stage by Charles Hazelwood and the Paraorchestra, for the first live performance of Death Songbook, reimagined and repumped cover versions of songs that I’ve grown up listening to, with a special guest performance by Mercury Prize nominee, Gwenno.
https://youtu.be/uYcFU-Qg2fo
Nothing had prepared me for the beauty of the performance, to say it was magical would be an understatement, my heart and head were filled with musical joy, melancholy, and nostalgia. Kicking off the performance with Killing Moon really set the tone, I was captivated and overjoyed, right through to the last note of ‘Wonderful Life’.
I was completely amazed and overwhelmed with emotion listening to the first-ever performance of Brutal Lover, a truly beautiful song. Gwenno’s unique voice on ‘End of the World’ ‘Holes’ and ‘Enjoy the Silence’ combined with Brett Andersons’ vocals was a smooth union of sound.
Gwenno
I had never heard of the Paraorchestra before last night, they sounded phenomenal, they are incredible musicians, and the sound they created suited the songs to perfection. Charlie Hazelwood described them as a ‘new breed’. This beautiful concert was so well directed and produced by a bodywork of professionals, I felt like I was experiencing something really special, it felt like a new era and gave me feelings of elation, joy, melancholy, and nostalgia.
I’m not a fan of cover versions and on my way to WMC I wondered how some of the songs would sound, particularly as the original artists, David Bowie/Jaques Brel, Japan, Depeche Mode, Mercury Revs, Echo and the Bunnymen, Skeeter Davis (all pretty big shoes to fill) are icons and all performed their songs as only they can, they’re classics, I really enjoyed listening to them but not in the way that I heard them last night, the new arrangements and performance stirred me up inside and moved me. The songs have now taken on a very different meaning to me like I was listening to them for the first time. The song choices suited Brett’s voice to perfection.
Death Songbook reminds us that through songs about death, the death of love, and the loss of our loved ones, music is our comforter, our greatest friend in dark, bleak times, it soothes, nourishes, and uplifts us, during our deepest sorrow.
Thank you Brett and everyone involved in the performance and production. I await an official release of this beautiful music, preferably on vinyl!
Choreography and Music: Hofesh Shechter Performed by: Shechter II Lighting Design: Tom Visser Original Costume Design: Osnat Kelner
The eight performers performing in Contemporary Dance 2.0 from Hofesh Shechter and his award winning company Shechter II, were; Tristan Carter, Cristel de Frankrijker, Justine Gouache, Zakarius Harry, Alex Haskins, Oscar Jinghu Li, Keanah Faith Simin and Chanel Veyent. They are sensational, adapting perfectly to the Shechter style, which is one minute smooth and sinuous as silk and the next pulsing to a frantic beat of rapid, exhausting movement, as relentless as a heartbeat.
https://youtu.be/s3yEmaZAb-8
Each dance piece gets divided into five sections, which were signed by the dancers holding up rough cardboard. It begins, with my all time favourite ‘Pop’, with Michael Jackson inspiration posing, followed by ballroom, frantic, electric jumps & contemporary dance moments of joining hands and forming multiple, beautiful dance stunts & visual images.
Freedom of expression through sensory movements were expressed by all eight dancers’ synchronised & projecting an aura of internal power through pop dance, feelings of motherhood and pain/relief experienced by our bodies channeling energy in complex journeys. Seductively taking eyes across the audience as their bodies effortlessly & vigorously flop and rise with their fluidity hypnotised, leaving you mesmerised to the depths of how pop culture, embodying Michael Jackson – the King of Pop’s symmetrical famous moves.
The music was upbeat. In beat we witnessed a fusion of dance styles such as krumping, popping, electro funk gliding to the counts within the music flow that went to the rhythm of 1,2,3,4 – however, automatically speeding up to match their heartbeats drumming to the beats 2,4,6,8. This soon boomed to a higher frequency as they began spinning, break out dancing and exploiting various other dance sensations like ballroom & contemporary thanks to the Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter.
Each dancer colourfully dressed visually moved our brains as their facial expressions epically motioned feelings of strain, reactions of excitment & vanity. You could feel the dancers’ hearts race, pumping to the counts of 10, 20, 30, and 40.
A 50 minute non-stop fusion of intensity taken to the stage. Hope was their supply, influence was their leader, precautions were their discipline, and spirit guided was their teacher. Flexible bodies slid springing along the floor; resonating solitary on stage, the lights set the mood remaining predominantly dim lit.
Well incorporated into the dance moves were light bouncing, embracing, smiling, culture, architecture of hearts rejoicing, as their bodies sprung like tigers. Towards the end played ‘The End’ by Frank Sinatra. It became an expression of unity and life between the past and present of home manifested through pop, hip hop & other dancing styles high on energy, moving to a completely different beat working strangely well, appearing extremely beautiful towards the end.
The music consisted of heavy deep drums and heartfelt string instruments. The ambience was uplifting as it radiated emotions of tranquillity, hope, victory and a full tribe of life. Each dancer individually performed a solo as themselves, which conveyed their stamped identity. Towards the end all moves moulded into one! A high off of energy, fire and enjoyment, zero stopping until the stage was cleared making you want to watch forever. Not to be missed!
I have to say I wasn’t sure what to expect on a rainy Welsh Wednesday in an ex-working men’s club in Maes Y Coed, Pontypridd. It’s not your usual venue for a bit of theatre, but Pontypridd-born Katie Payne (accompanied by live DJ Glade Marie) took the small, buzzy audience on a rollercoaster ride through the memories and present-day happenings of character Phoebe Phillips. I haven’t always connected with plays written about Valleys characters. They can be a little over-done, a pastiche or caricature of a romanticised myth that can be sickeningly saccharine at times. But this evening’s performance exploring what it’s like to be in the orbit of an ADHD mind was quite possibly one of the best and most relatable depictions of Welsh working class Valleys women I have seen on stage.
“One of the best depictions of Welsh working class Valleys women I have seen on stage…”
Phoebe is uncompromisingly, restlessly real. Painfully and honestly so. We skip back and forth between memories and songs and scenes from her childhood, thorough messy confrontations, and the myriad of relationships with friends, families and foes. Valleys folk will all recognise the characters who pop up in ‘Duffy’s’ (but really, this was as true for me of Tonyrefail, just up the road). You’ll meet “Bag-face Linda”, the bouncer with the spade arms, “Pick Me” Caroline, sweet/spiteful Alex and Jamie bloody Richards – the lad’s lad you love to hate. There’s a constant drum beat of frenetic energy brewing from the very beginning, building up to a crescendo of chaos that gets better and stronger as the performance reaches the summit.
As a family currently on the waiting list for an ADHD assessment and with suspected neurodivergent traits of our own, this really did hit home. My teenage daughter said she thought it was written about her. I thought it could have been written about me, too! The play explores the turbulence of having emotions that are always brimming just below the surface and the ensuing fireworks that leave a host of disappointed faces in their wake. Throughout, main character Phoebe navigates the stigma and grief associated with never ever feeling good enough and of living inside your own head constantly.
ADHD presents differently in girls of course, and while many ADHD girls perhaps won’t be as disruptive, energetic and borderline violent as Phoebe, all will recognise the panic of being exposed and ‘found out’. There’s a gendered level of shame to confronting and owning anger and the end scene where Phoebe lets her guard down with boyfriend Ben was like a punch in the gut. If it’s exhausting to be with me, imagine what it’s like being me, Phoebe says. But the audience instinctively see that there should be no shame in her realness. There is, in fact – power in her drive, her hyper-focus, her silliness (the beautiful scene where she curls her lip and cuts through the conflict with a single facial expression is sheer perfection).
I asked my daughter how she felt after the show. “I feel seen” she said…
Neurdivergent or not, this is an absolute must-see. Katie Payne is not only a sharp writer and a gifted performer, but she absolutely NAILS the working class experience of growing up in the Valleys. Throughout this show, there are nostalgic references, witty one liners and great little cameo voices from relatives and members of the wedding party who depict the humour, the claustrophobia and often – the sheer absurdity of the Valleys experience. Sometimes, the stifling yet gripping hold ‘home’ can have on you can be discombobulating. As Phoebe did during Caroline’s wedding, you confront your past, your weaknesses and your failures. TH Parry Williams the North-Walian poet described “home” as being like a dragon’s claw gripping your heart and riffed about resenting the folks you try to leave behind. But in true Welsh “Hiraeth” fashion, you may feel an inexplicable sense of disconnect or loss when you move away. For those of us who were lucky enough to grow up in the Valleys, though, My Mix(ed up) Tape makes coming home to Duffy’s feel like a big warm cwtch. You may feel like you’ve been punched in the feels, but my god – you will bloody laugh, mun.
After a blazing take on Rachmaninov’s 3rd Piano Concerto with our BBC NOW a few weeks prior, Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son popped back to Cardiff for a much more intimate affair at the Royal Welsh for a Sunday morning recital which had highlights and less interesting work.
The Trois Pieces pour piano by Guillaume Lekeu started us off, a nice opening feature though I found it to be rather inconsequential. A mighty tonal shift followed with the finale to Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Though most of the ballet score is rather dull, it is the last ten odd minutes that dazzle, Yeol throwing herself into the piece which is a showy number that usually ends a concert. I detected at least a wrong note or two through the clamour of the soaring final pages, yet how profound the whole thing was. She owned the sequence and I was rather taken with her virtuosity on display.
More tonal shifts with William Hirtz and the Wizard of Oz Fantasy, a charming selection of the famous chunks from the timeless film. It was all here: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, the music for the Wicked Witch, We’re Off to See the Wizard and more. You could feel Yeol’s enjoyment in this fluffy choice and it led to an interval making us crave more. The First Sonata from Janáček known as ‘From the Street’ had an air of difficulty, some tender moments you’d expect from the Czech master composer. I’ve always held firm that he writes better for orchestra then piano. I found I lost interest within it, only brought back with more tender, touching moments as it reached it’s conclusion.
A few nights prior, a musician friend spoke highly of the music of Russian Nikolai Kapustin. Eager to check out his music, I didn’t have to look very far as Yeol brought the concert to a close with his Second Sonata. Every pore of score dripped with jazz, though I feel this was a detriment to the genre. The formal proceeding of having the jazz in a classical folding almost denies it the right to get lost and breezy. Amusing moments were met with toe tapping phases, though I did wonder how generic this sort of jazz has become. Never the snob to declare the genres shouldn’t mingle, I just wasn’t wowed by the sonata.
This proved to be quite a varied and lively programme, more of the same variety is greatly encouraged.
The buoy band that breams were made of! Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical, written by Amanda Whittington and directed by James Grieve, is based on the true ragfish-to-riches story of the best Cornish export since the pasty: an acapella group comprised of local fishermen whose chart-topping rise to fame saw them playing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2011. The musical, which draws on the screenplay for the 2019 film starring James Purefoy and Daniel Mays, includes a raft of sea shanties (including lockdown TikTok sensation Wellerman) alongside original songs written for the show by musical director James Findlay. Having premiered in Plymouth in September, the UK tour drops anchor in Cardiff this week.
The UK touring cast of Fisherman’s Friends 2022
The story centres around the band’s discovery by Jason Langley’s Danny, a disgraced record producer who wants to use the Fishermen for his comeback, and who ends up falling for them hook, line and sinker. With the team at Island Records sceptical of the band being able to find an audience, Danny lies his way to London with the Fishermen in tow. A classic fish out of water, Langley’s interactions with the Fishermen – and his budding romance with Alywyn (Parisa Shahmir), ‘The Taylor Swift of Port Isaac’ – are hugely entertaining to watch.
The UK touring cast of Fisherman’s Friends 2022
This is in no small part due to the energy and enthusiasm of this wonderful cast, who are onstage together for most of the show. Kudos to the actors who play the titular Fishermen: James Gaddas, Robert Duncan, Anton Stephans, John O’Mahony, Hadrian Delacey, Dan Buckley, Dominic Brewer, and the double act of Dakota Starr and Pete Gallagher who won the toughest-fought battle of ‘having the most fun onstage’ I’ve seen in a while. (You can check out our interview with Dakota here). Mind you, everyone onstage (and in the audience) lit up during the scene where the Fishermen hit the Soho club scene – and if you were wondering whether you can disco-ify a sea shanty, then wonder no more.
The UK touring cast of Fisherman’s Friends 2022
The team have done an excellent job at translating the story and sense of place to the stage. St Piran’s Day is duly celebrated and Bodmin duly sassed, and Lucy Osborne’s gorgeous set took my breath away when the curtain went up, and the spectacular opening scene – where the Fishermen sing ‘Norman’s Blood’ on a stormy ocean – is something you truly have to see (or ‘sea’?) for yourself. With such a huge cast, the show nails both the raucous group numbers (like the jolly ‘South Australia’ and any scene in the Golden Lion pub) and intimate two-handers (like the first tentative steps of courtship between Langley and Shahmir, where they circle slowly around each other singing ‘Sloop John B’). Meanwhile, Cornish actors like Susan Penhaligon and Robert Duncan bring a sense of mischief, gravitas and authenticity, and Shahmir lends grace and passion to the stage in ‘A Village by the Sea’.
The UK touring cast of Fisherman’s Friends 2022
The sense of warmth and affection among the cast is sure to reel you in, as will the top-notch singing – these shanties have never sounded better. While you might struggle to remember every Steinman lyric or Osmonds riff, these call-and-response songs are easy to pick up and sing along to – the pitcher sings a verse, and everyone joins in on the chorus. Shanties originated as working men’s songs, designed to help sailors keep to a strict rhythm during everyday tasks on the ship, and to keep up morale. So if you’re feeling even the teensiest bit down in the dumps, a couple of bars of ‘John Kanaka’, ‘Drunken Sailor’, or ‘Blow the Man Down’ is sure to lift you up.
There really is something for everyone in this show. The songs have a sense of history and humour that make them a rich live experience. As one character says: these songs are for anyone with a heart, a soul, and a taste for adventure. Set sail for Fisherman’s Friends and you’re sure to have a fin-tastic time!
Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical is playing at New Theatre in Cardiff through to 29th October (you can find out more about the production and book tickets here).
In our latest Writer interview Director of Get The Chance, Guy O’Donnell chats to Bethan James. They discuss her development as a writer, her career to date, being shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Short Story Award and a future free workshop ‘Storytelling for Beginners: Retelling Welsh Myths for a Greener Future’
Hi Bethan, you and I have known each other for some time as you were one of the original Young Critics supported by Get The Chance, since then you creative career has blossomed, can you give our readers some background information on yourself please?
I grew up in South Wales, and getting involved in The Young Critics scheme nearly a decade ago ignited my creative industries career journey. This enabled me to see world-class productions like Belarus Free Theatre at the Sherman for free, and get my work published in stellar places like Wales Arts Review. That experience launched me into freelance work at National Theatre Wales, then a Marketing & PR role at Oxford Playhouse theatre.
My love of writing led to a comms job at a Welsh publisher, then a career as a Senior Book Publicity Manager in London, but the written word has always been my calling. This month, I was shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Trust Short Story Award. I moved back to Wales recently, and I’ve just submitted my debut historical mystery novel to my literary agent. Fingers crossed for a tidy book deal!
Fast forward to October 2022, and I’m halfway through an Arts Council Wales ‘Create’ grant for a storytelling project. My project includes time to write, mentoring with amazing storyteller of over 25 years Fiona Collins, and training at Ty Newydd Writers’ Centre.
Fiona Collins
A dream come true. It culminates in delivering accessible and free virtual storytelling workshops on theme of climate change and Welsh myths. More on this later in the Q&A, and I hope your readers can join us for a free workshop on the 1st November.
So, what got you interested in the arts?
I remember when I was about 7 years old, the National Museum of Wales did a competition for children to choose a painting in their collection and write a piece of art criticism about it. Larkspurs by Henri Fantin-Latour drew me to it – a still life with a vase of flowers.
My review was basic. A few lines about pretty pastel colours and how it made me happy. But it got published in the competition booklet. That made me feel listened to, and I realised that I had a voice in the artworld despite being a child.
I’m also lucky that my parents read me bedtime stories and took me to the library every week. That seeded my love of storytelling for life. I was about 18 years old before I visited a bookshop for the first time and bought a book, which people in the publishing industry find odd!
The other gamechanger was a scheme called ‘A Night Less Ordinary’ when I was a university student at Southampton University, a world away from the little Welsh village I grew up in. That enabled me to see a play every week for free. My passion for theatre was cemented. Prior to that, I’d only really been exposed to panto (which I love by the way, but I appreciated my eyes being opened to new and classic works).
Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas come from?
Great question. One of the best – and strangest – tips I’ve ever had for getting ideas when you’re stuck is to find water, because water makes you feel inspired. Wash dishes, brush teeth, have a shower, or walk by a river, and ideas will probably flow!
On a more practical level, I recommend the book The Artists’ Way by Julia Cameron to everyone. It takes you on a 10 week journey of creative discovery and inspiration. Some aspects are a bit spiritual for me, but her advice such as doing a few minutes freewriting to start your day – a subconscious brain dump where you don’t edit yourself – is invaluable.
The way stories often appear to me is as lines of dialogue popping into my head at random moments. I start writing to try and work who’s saying those lines? Where are they? What happening? It’s like getting a line of script, and then you’re a director and the TV episode or film starts taking shape. Eventually, I can sit back and the scene plays out in my mind’s eye.
I just have to type quickly enough to catch everything I can see before me, and what’s being said.
Always carry a notebook with you to jot down the quirky things you overhear, or sights that catch your eye, or strange encounters. Keep it by your bedside too for scrawling down your dreams after you wake. You’ll never remember afterwards otherwise!
Things like ‘story cubes’ dice with pictures can help writer’s block, or using Tarot cards as visual prompts.
The other top tip is to read a lot in the genre you’re writing in. You’d be surprised how many writers I know say they’re too busy writing to read, but how can you fill up that well of ideas otherwise? For example, writing my Victorian crime novel, I binged on Sherlock Holmes stories to immerse myself in the atmosphere, voice, details of the era.
I love this quote from Sylvia Plath: ‘everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.’
Can you describe your writing day? Do you have a process or a minimum word count?
I’m definitely not a ‘get up at 6am with the sunrise’ writer! Because of my thyroid disorders, I get brain fog first thing. On a day I’ve carved out for writing, I take my time to get going. I’ll clear my email inbox, check social media, and have a some porridge, do a little walk outside, and try to be at my desk by 9.30am. Earl Grey tea fuels me.
Throughout the day, I write in 25-minute sprints followed by 5 minute breaks (known as the Pomodoro method). The game-changer for me was discovering a free productivity app called Forest. For every stint of focused work, you can plant a beautiful virtual tree. Once you’ve planted enough, the app plants a real-life tree for you to help the environment. Rewarding myself for sitting down at that blank page works for me.
Unusually, I have a “no wordcount” rule on my writing days. I never track or count words on a project – only time. But the reason is, writer’s often get demoralised by not hitting a wordcount target, whereas maybe that 8-hour wordless day was the most important one all month, because they sat back, stared out the window, and solved a huge plot hole. Mindset over wordcount any day: one you carry across projects, the other ends when the story does.
I’ll have another little walk at lunchtime, then work intensively until late. I’m a night owl so my best time to write is evening from 8pm to midnight. I enter the state between wake and sleep and the ideas flow.
I end the day filling in my bullet journal – a tip from author VE Schwab. You think of things you want to do that month: maybe yoga, novel writing, and cutting down on caffeine. Then you colour in a journal square for each day you achieved it. Whether you did 1 hour of writing or 10, you colour it in and feel a sense of achievement.
VE Schawb
Why and where do you write?
The simple answer is I write because I can’t not write. Creative expression is up there with food, water, and oxygen as an essential.
There’s a brilliant Seamus Heaney quote on poetry: ‘I rhyme / To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.’ I suppose writing short stories and novels is the same for me: an act self-reflection and understanding myself better.
It also helps me make sense of others and the world around me. Writing can be an act of empathy and connection, or a form of escapism and freedom. Sometimes my underlying health issues makes me tired, but when I’m in the flow of writing, I enter the realm of imagination and can forget all about that.
As for where I write, I find it hard to focus in noisy cafes or on a train. My ideal setting is a desk in my bedroom surrounded by snacks, with peace and quiet for hours, and a window with a view of nature. How often I achieve that is another matter!
Bethan’s ideal writing space
It was harder when I lived in a house share in London and worked exhausting 12 hour days in a busy book PR job. It’s easier now I’m back in Wales and working on my Arts Council Wales storytelling project.
Yes, Welsh myths are rich with nature imagery and themes. My initial approach to re-interpreting these was to work with my mentor Fiona, and explore different tales that resonated with the climate crisis and ecological issues. Then we’d pick one to make the focus our Zoom workshop.
For example, in the Third Branch of the Mabinogion, magic lays waste the kingdom of Dyfed and all agriculture, domesticated animals, and humans vanish. The only four people left behind must find ways to survive and restore the land.
But the story that most resonated with me is The Tale of Taliesin, because it features the powerful woman and sorceress Ceridwen. She uses ingredients from nature like herbs in a spell to help her son gain knowledge and become accepted by others. In the story, he’s described as deformed and crippled, so it’s also a gateway to address current issues like eco-ableism.
The narrative has an incredible chase scene when Ceridwen transforms into different animals like a hare, otter and bird of prey. It brings nature to life and creates a strong connection with the environment and local species in listeners. This was important to me, as according to a Welsh Government July 2021 report, only 15% of the population believe climate change affects them. But issues such as extinction and habitat destruction are happening right under our noses in Wales.
Our workshop begins with a short present day re-telling of Ceridwen’s tale, where she’s a scientist instead of a sorceress. She mixes medicines in her lab instead of potions in her cauldron. Then participants can plant their own stories by taking part in creative activities with a green twist, to help them grow as a storyteller.
I believe if people can imagine stories where Wales has a greener future, then it can become a reality. Myths speak to us with powerful truths, and can be tools for planting the seeds of change, and for challenging narratives. The Welsh Government’s net zero goal by 2050 won’t succeed if people don’t believe in hopeful possibilities and get behind it.
The workshops are offered with access support including, “live captions and bilingual Welsh/ English workshop slides. You also state If you require sign language interpretation, or other access requirements, please let us know in advance. We will do our best to accommodate.” Is access provision important to your delivery as a creative writer?
I live with chronic illnesses, and seek to support new writers and aspiring storytellers who are disabled / chronically ill/ neurodiverse/ or D(d)eaf. I understand first-hand how many barriers are out there. Now Covid lockdowns are over, it’s frustrating to see creative workshops and events becoming 100% in person only again, with no virtual offering or hybrid models.
Disabled people are underrepresented in publishing. The U.K.’s Publishers Association’s 2021 diversity survey found that 13% of respondents identified as having a disability. Few stories are told by disabled voices. I’m keen make sure my workshop is as accessible as possible to this community, so everyone feels welcome and can participate.
This also links to the ecological theme of the session. Disabled people are among the groups most affected by climate injustice. According to a World Health Organisation 2021 report, climate change is “the biggest health threat facing humanity”.
Likewise, I’m keen to make sure Welsh speakers have bilingual workshop slides and can access the activities in their preferred language. Although the workshop is in English, Fiona who co-delivers it, is a Welsh speaker who will do a reading in Welsh during the session. Afterwards, participants also receive a bilingual storytelling and climate change PDF resource pack.
How do we take part in the workshops and is there a cost?
The workshop is totally free thanks to funding from Arts Council Wales and National Lottery Good Causes. We’d love you to join us on Tuesday 1st November via Zoom from 6.30-8.30pm!
It will be a 2-hour breath of creative fresh air, and we welcome anybody who wants to have a go at telling a story and exploring Welsh myths.
There are a range of organisations supporting Welsh and Wales-based writers. I wonder if you feel the current support network and career opportunities feel ‘healthy’ to you?Do you think its possible to sustain a career as a writer in Wales and if not what would help?
I’ve recently moved back to Wales after five years away in London, so I’m still trying to find my feet with exactly what support is out there for Welsh writers!
I’d struggle to support myself as a writer right now if not for my Arts Council Wales Create grant, which I’m extremely grateful for. They have a host of funding opportunities. I also recommend writers check out the Literature Wales website resources section.
As for storytelling in Wales, Beyond the Border organisation are doing great work, and their Mycelium Hub opens up opportunities for freelancers across the country.
That said, with risings bills and living costs, it can feel like a pipedream for many writers to sustain a career. The Society of Authors’ calculated that the average full-time professional author only has an income of around £10,500 a year. Most have to do a part-time job, or things like teaching or freelance editing/copywriting, to make ends meet.
I believe a key step to transform the lives of writers in Wales is introducing a Universal Basic Income for artists, like the trial scheme that just launched in Ireland. A total of 2,000 musicians, painters and writers in Ireland are set to receive a weekly basic income of €325 ($330) per week under a new 3-year pilot by Ireland’s government. Imagine how much more incredible work writers in Wales could produce if they weren’t exhausted from juggling two or three jobs to make ends meet?
If you were able to fund an area of the arts in Wales what would this be and why?
Obviously I’m biased and would love to see storytellers, creative writers, and the literary world fully funded and thriving! But I see the arts as a bit like an ecosystem, or a garden. When the plants, trees, flowers, soil and so on are all nurtured, it blooms. If you only focus on one flower bed, the garden won’t flourish. That’s partly why I feel the above creative industries’ pilot scheme in Ireland is so exciting – imagine how much collaboration and support between disciplines will grow there now? Not to mention how much the health and wealth of the nation as a whole will bloom when you invest in the arts.
What excites you about the arts in Wales?
I’m particularly fascinated by the work going on in the Welsh cultural sector to tackle the climate crisis. For example, Arts Council Wales have funded a series of fellowships for artists, and are commissioning a ‘Strategy for Climate Justice and the Arts’ with Natural Resources Wales. I’m part of the Wales Climate & Culture Working Group, which has opened my eyes to the many incredible freelancers and organisations pushing tirelessly to make an impact in this area. It fills me with optimism for the future.
I also find the increase in social prescribing and utilising arts projects for well-being in the community a marvel. I was speaking to a Welsh storyteller the other day, who told me about her care home workshops and events with people living with Alzheimers. A promising development in the arts, and it opens up even more opportunities for freelancers.
What was the last really great thing that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?
Yesterday, I attended the book launch for The Rhys Davies Short Story Award anthology published by Parthian Books. It was a buzzy night of Q&As and readings. I’m always intrigued to hear what inspires and moves writers. I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy. It was wonderful to be shortlisted for this, and Laura Morris is a worthy winner – her story Cree, inspired by her job as a school teacher, is astounding. Grab a copy if you can.
Thanks for your time Bethan
The free online workshop ‘Storytelling for Beginners: Retelling Welsh Myths for a Greener Future’ takes place on Tuesday 1st November at 6.30-8.30pm UK time. Email storytellingwales@gmail.com to secure your free place and receive a Zoom link.
So it’s 20th October 2022, and I’m in my hometown of Porthcawl, walking up to the Grand Pavilion, a place I have frequented often over the past 23 years of my life. The lights from inside reflect and shine on the seaside town, but this time, we’re going downstairs. We’re going to watch a production by Dirty Protest called My Mix(ed up) Tape. I’m not sure what to expect but I’m excited, I’m ready to go in with an open mind. We head downstairs. It’s an encouraging number of people in the audience, and quite a different target to those who usually attend the performances in our small town. I’m pleased. The stage is set up with projections, and subtitles, and the room is set up with small round tables. What am I in for? I’m hit with music. DJ Glade Marie is vibing on the stage with her DJ set up, and suddenly I’m vibing too. I order a beer at the bar, sit down, and take in the atmosphere.
DJ Glade Marie
Then there she is, Katie Payne. A burst of energy, and we are thrown in straight away. Immersed in her story telling. I love her voice, she has a great Welsh accent that just makes me feel at home. She’s come back home to Pontypridd after living in London for a while. She’s here for her cousins wedding. She’s just been chucked out by the bouncer. She’s causing a bit of havoc, something we realise may not be an uncommon occurrence for Katie. She may be the only one who’s speaking on stage but she is not alone. She knows the town and the people like the back of her hand. She physicalises them well, and she manages to bring them to life. It’s comedic, it’s fun, then suddenly, it’s dark.
Katie Payne
Katie’s story is beautifully matched with a wide range of music that makes up her mix tape. The music is the second performer in this play. It makes me feel something- comfort, excitement, bliss. It elevates the moments and provides the perfect soundtrack for Payne’s story. I was really enjoying the different styles, some well-known classics, but also a few more obscure and underground tracks which I really appreciated. Music is clearly nostalgia and expression for Katie, and it’s the same for me. I felt connected to her. Like when a song you really love comes on and you find out your mate likes it too. Then all that’s left to do is dance.
Katie and Glade Marie had many subtle and unique interactions throughout the play. The little moments they shared felt sometimes like we were intruding on them as an audience. I was curious about their relationship, but it worked, and it left me wanting more.
Paynes’ performance was phenomenal and I was pretty speechless by the end of the production. The way she made use of the whole space, her voice, her movement, her energy, her pacing, were all on point and totally mind-blowing. I didn’t find myself disengaging once throughout the hour and fifteen minutes. I honestly don’t know how she did it, and how she made it look so effortless.
I couldn’t fault this production and I couldn’t give it anything but 5 stars. When you are let into someone’s mind, their vulnerability, their fears, and their truth, it’s such a privilege, and not one to be taken lightly. Everyone should see this production and have the privilege of witnessing Katie Payne’s performance first hand. The messaging is strong and I feel it would resonate with many audiences. This is a remarkable play, culminating from a raw female voice straight out of the Welsh Valleys. It’s overwhelming and confusing, It’s electric, it’s dark, it’s funny, it’s real, it’s brave.
It’s Welsh.
You can find out more about the tour and book tickets here
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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