From it’s humble start, Opera’r Ddraig have risen upward to stage familiar classics in spaces around Cardiff and on tour. Though with Bhekizizwe comes a much more diverse and contemporary scope for the company.
Dr Robert Fokkens from South Africa, now based at Cardiff Uni has composed the score and the libretto is penned by Mkhululi Mabija. We follow a young South African man Bhekizizwe Shange on his way to further education in both Pretoria and then London. With family, life and love interests adding to the story, he must find his way in the white mans world, proving himself as good as any of them. A partner of his in London would deliver a baby, much to the distain of the family of the girl, realising the child would be mixed race.
The near eccentric nature of the music, is usual Fokkens territory, his recent piano premier at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival also proof of this. There was dischord, there was harmony, though most alive in the piercing moments of drama in the second half of the evening, dance club music and a pounding drum solo from Michael Hearty. I’ve yet to see a bow scrapped across a cymbal more times then here as well. I questioned how approachable the music would be, some in the audience declared this was their first opera. I dare say, it worked well and the interval was an added rest for all players involved. Fokkens also conducted every soberly, keeping the ensemble in a fine symmetry.
The story itself is quite bare, our lead boy seems to just knock about the places he is meant to go, perhaps the fact this is a monodrama with no other voices proves the static. With the upmost pride, the evening mostly belongs to baritone Themba Mvula. In the many dress-up moments for his teachers, family and maybe in-laws, he embodies them with swagger and humour. Mvula’s voice is perfect in any register and he often excelled in soaring moments, even if the rowdy band might have drowned him out at times. There are some very touching moments and the bits of wit are well needed, the lists of things not to do in England was a highlight, dressing up with the buttoned up, dicky bow torso mannequin of his professor. He made the story more interesting then on face value and I was really quite taken with him. One to watch!
At it’s heart the piece was about home, race and love. The quest for all these things in a world of hate and judgment.
Last night I had the pleasure of watching the ‘Girl from the North Country’ held at the magnificent Wales Millenium Centre. The story was written and produced by Conor McPherson using the songs of Bob Dylan. It’s a double Olivier and Tony Award-winning West End Broadway ‘smash’.
For those thinking the story is about Bob Dylan, it’s not! Dylan’s songs have been reimagined, revamped, and weaved into the lives of a group of troubled souls from Duluth, Minnesota (Dylan’s hometown) a city on the shores of Lake Superior. A tale of love, family, hardship, and survival.
Set in a guesthouse in the winter of 1934 in the middle of the great depression – seven years before the great songwriter was born. It was bleak and grim and that radiated out of the performances. Hard times are a test of strength and character and also how resilient we are when all else fails and the chips are down.
Proprietor Nick Laine is down on his luck and financially struggling to keep their guesthouse from being taken over by the bank, while his wife Elizabeth has dementia and floats in and out of moments of clarity. Nick and Elizabeth’s children also have their own struggles going on – Marianne is unmarried and 5 months pregnant and Gene is going nowhere in life, jobless, his struggles are with the demon drink.
I loved the way the ‘super talented’ musicians played using 1930s instruments and were often joined by cast members throughout the production, bringing the music to life. Every song was brilliantly performed but for me, the standouts were ‘Tight Connection’, ‘Rolling Stone’, ‘I Want You,’ ‘What Can I Do for You’, ‘Jokerman’, ‘Forever Young’ and ‘Pressing On’. Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for his lyrics and these performances are a superb showcase, all performed with confidence and passion, they had a strong, emotional impact that made my skin tingle with delight.
Dylan’s magic comes from his lyrics, the unique delivery of those lyrics and the exciting driving force of the music was a lot stronger than Dylan’s own voice. The way Dylan’s songs have been reimagined and revamped is impressive.
This was one of the best pieces of musical theatre I’ve seen in a long time, I was so excited I felt like a dog with two tails!
As soon as I saw details of ‘the Spiegeltent’ I was intrigued and wanted to experience it – it didn’t disappoint. When you walk in you are transported from the freezing, noisy hustle and bustle outside into a warm, welcoming space which, although it seats 500, feels intimate and special. I didn’t use it – but was surprised and impressed to see the generous bar area as you walk in, and that added a luxurious (and practical) touch. I can really imagine the tent coming into its own for the current production of Castellana which is described as cabaret, circus, burlesque and comedy, with the tent’s dark, ‘smoky’ atmosphere.
Anyway back to Santa’s Wish. I took my 9-year-old son with me to see this production but had no idea what to expect and was worried that it might be a bit young for him, but in fact I’d say it is aimed at older primary school children rather than younger ones.
The production is bright, colourful, the characters are engaging and my son was quickly taken with the humour and delivery of the male elf, as well as the tumbling and tricks. As the story went on, it felt as though a little of the initial humour was lost as it became a more serious story, and I think for younger children, a few more breaks in the songs and story for a bit more ‘panto slapstick’ would appeal and give light relief. The story was fairly easy to follow – though again I think some of the nuances were lost on the children, and it has the messages you’d expect from a children’s production – being kind to the planet and to one another, so you can’t argue with the sentiment.
My son judged the aerial acrobatics to be ‘amazing’ and it was certainly unusual to see a little of that in a children’s Christmas production, so that added to the spectacle. I did wonder if perhaps a little more could have been made of this aspect of the show however, and I wasn’t keen on the very dull rather transparent costume used for the aerial work. At one stage the performer came on to the stage wearing stilts, but nothing was really made of this skill, they just seemed to be being used to make her taller than the others which I found a bit baffling.
The entire cast are strong singers which was nice and meant that songs were pleasant and easy to listen to, and whilst this performance is done ‘in the round’ at no time did I feel that they had their backs to us or that we couldn’t see what was happening. It was also effective that they made use of the space amongst the audience – stopping to ask little ones if ‘they had seen Santa’ etc – which delighted some little girls behind me and included the whole audience in the action. The props for the under the sea scene were creative and effective (I may have to make an Octopus umbrella myself now!) and being able to use the aerial lift for additional special effects worked well. There were lots of ‘Instagram’ moments and it did feel that we were seeing a Christmas spectacle, which lived up to my hopes.
On the downside, there is no interval, so the children are sitting for about an hour and a quarter in total. The younger children in from of me really struggled with this – the little girl (about 3) fell asleep quite early on and the older boy (around 5 or 6) was complaining that it was ‘taking ages’ at about 20 minutes into the performance. Obviously all children have different capacities to sit for long periods, and in fairness to the cast – they very much encouraged everyone to get up and dance with them in the last section of the production, although I am not sure how much of the very end of the story many people took in, because having got everyone on their feet to dance and sing along, there was still about 10 minutes of story to complete after that. I think many parents with restless children were expecting that to be the end, so I felt for a few parents having to quieten down their children and try and get them to listen to the very end of the tale. The other issue is something that I struggle with everywhere we go – the volume. My own son winced at the loud music a few times and the little boy in front of me had his fingers in his ears on more than one occasion. I am not sure why every cinema showing and production we go to these days is so loud, but at nearly 50 (so my hearing should be less sensitive these days) I found the music too loud and so it’s not surprising that younger, more sensitive ears found it too loud as well.
All in all I loved the venue and my son and I were very glad we went. It was something a bit different in a beautiful, atmospheric venue. The cast are all talented and the production clearly made every effort to offer something for everyone, from the delightful, sparkly ‘Snowflake’, the rough and tumble of the other elves, the humour and the circus tricks to the big man himself. It was a magical Christmas spectacle, but just be aware that you might have to manage some restlessness for the very young.
Around a year ago it was announced that Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland would be relocating to the historical Cardiff Castle (due to COVID concerns) and so I and a few friends thought that we would walk through the city center dressed as Santa and his usual companions. Apart from the excited faces of children running up to tell us they have been good this year, the actual event was extremely disappointing! The skating was frequently closed and reopened due to transmission rates and the majority of stalls were closed with those that were open were mostly selling the same thing. Therefore when it was announced that a festive festival would be landing in Cardiff Castle, I was concerned it was going to be a repeat of the lackluster event. However, I could not have been more wrong! This year the Castle has been given a festive make-over with most fantastical pop-up theatre, luminous decorations, and a plethora of stalls for everyone to enjoy.
This production marks the second show we have seen from the Castle’s Spiegeltent festival the first of which being Santa’s Wish where I talked about for me Christmas is all about the child-like wonder that floods over you as Santa bellows his iconic catchphrase. As we get older the magic of Christmas starts to fade away and we our perspectives begin to change. Sometimes Christmas is not about that warm fuzzy feeling in your belly, sometimes it is about purposefully finding your way onto Santa’s naughty list and being your own “Ho, Ho, Ho!”
This brand-new, mature cabaret event is unique in the fact that it was hosted mostly by different arrangements of three separate cast members. We were introduced to the fabulous Velma Celli (who is west-end star Ian Stroughair behind all the name-up) who is all of my cabaret dreams come to life on stage! I am absolutely in love with the sparkly outfit they wore at the beginning of the performances which acted as a disco ball by reflecting the stage lights beautifully. They also helped to drive the pace of the show with hilarious interactions with the audience (including stealing my sequin Santa hat and handing to the people next to me) and delivering exciting introductions for many of the acts. On top of all this Velma also performed an excellent rendition of the hit song “Let Me Entertain You” which introduced the host to the audience as the almost master of ceremonies. We are also introduced to ‘the Magician’ Alex Phelps who has somewhat of a storied history with the previous host. He also helps to introduce the final host and mystery guest of the evening Ana played by Vikki Bebb after randomly selecting her from the audience and hypnotising her to be the star of the show. I do think that the inclusion of selecting her from the audience was convoluted and was very clearly an intentional plant that took away from the rest of the very live and at times highly dangerous acts to follow. I have to admit that there was an underlying storyline to the show about the re-discovery of a mythical yet fictional Castell Annwn but I missed many of the plot points as these details were shared of overwhelming audience reactions.
The first act to officially grace the stage was the fire Fox Angie Sylvia who delivered a mesmerising burlesque/fire swallowing number which ended with her setting the remnants of her outfit of fire while still on her body! The sensuality of stripping combined with the danger of fire breathing made for a totally fascinating act that had me in the edge of my seat throughout! One of the acts that had the biggest reaction of the night was Brett Rosengreen who helped to showcase male burlesque which is something I have not seen a lot of before! It can only benefit the art form if more people are aware that burlesque is for anyone and so it was fantastic to see these performers a part of the line-up! If this performance by Brett is anything to go by then I cannot wait to see more male burlesque dancers in the very near future! His cowboy-infused number was so dramatic and sensual with just a splash of humour as he poured what appeared Jack Daniels over himself and the stage which just added to the sensuality of his number. The pairing of Yann LeBlanc and Sophie Northmore (under the duo of hand-to-hand) delivered an amazing, gravity-defying balancing act where the latter would contort and maintain the most insane positions as the former supported and functioned as the much need muscle. This performance was not only elegant and beautiful but also let the audience wondered how it was all possible which is the sign of an incredible circus act. I have to say that the silk routine by the flying man Joe Kelly was one of the best aerial routines I have ever seen! The way that Joe can rapidly wrap himself into the silks to twist, flip and dangle in the most precious positions was incredible to watch and also had me on the edge of my seat throughout. There were very few pauses between positions (which is usually a concern of mine during aerial numbers) which made the entire act extremely smooth and fluid for the audience.
Overall, Castellana is one of the sexiest shows this Christmas and (although we cannot make guarantees) may be the reason you end up on Santa’s naughty list this year! It is a wonderfully vibrant yet sensual show that is clearly intended for a more mature audience (due to the nudity and sexual references throughout) but this is absolutely a show to catch on your next girls/guy’s night as there is something for everyone! I would rate this production 4.5 stars out of 5!
Every single year, without fail, there comes a point in the year when people online begin to argue about whether it is too early or not to put up Christmas decorations. Some may say Christmas begins after Halloween, others after the first of December but I personally think Christmas should never stop! I have been jamming out to Christmas songs and proudly wearing my Christmas attire all year round purely because in my opinion, the festive period is the best time of the year so why shouldn’t we keep it all year round? A little-known fact about myself is that I used to be the Santa that would travel through the streets of Cardiff to bring a bit of Christmas magic to the hoards of children that would flock to the sleigh to tell me they should be on the good list this year. These adventures were often extremely arduous and tiring (even more so for the elves who would walk alongside the sleigh giving out candy canes) but it was all worth it seeing how the faces of the young children would light up when you waved at them or even hollered a “Ho, Ho, Ho” in their general direction! To me, Christmas is all about that childlike wonder that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling in your belly and so when it was announced there would be a new Christmas show heading to the iconic Cardiff castle I knew it was not to be missed!
Santa’s Wish currently showing at Cardiff Castle opened up with the most magical Santa (who knocks the fluffy socks off my portrayal of the role) played by Dyfrig Morris who delivered arguably one of the best musical portrayals of St Nick I have ever seen! The ability to maintain the over-the-top Jolly-ness is something I struggled with for the short period of time when flooded with kids on the sleigh but Dyfrig manages to keep up this persona throughout even though every single one of his movements are under constant surveillance by the audience! He has mastered the art of a playful yet booming voice that caught everyone’s attention whenever he spoke. One of the things I really enjoyed about this production is the fact that it is almost totally self-aware but acknowledges the crowd and explains how they ended up on the Castle grounds. After a routine flight Santa had given the reins of the sleigh to a trustworthy elf Crackers (played by the extremely entertaining Richie Gooding) only for Crackers to start showing off making them crash into a far-off land. The script mentions the fact that they are in the Castle grounds but don’t know how to get back as the reindeer have fled for safety!
Santa and Crackers are joined by the fresh-faced Snowflake (who has a rather unique backstory which we will explain later) played by Millie Davies who delivered quite possibly my favourite song throughout the entire show. Her rendition of “Teach me How to Fly” was wonderfully moving and showcased Millie’s incredible vocal abilities throughout. The beautifully sung sections of the song were broken up with the aforementioned Santa telling the story as to how Snowflake became an elf in his adorable yet magical voice! While Millie was pouring out her heart in this number Keely Edwards was showcasing her aerial abilities as she hung upside down directly above her fellow performer. This spectacle was not only a treat for the eyes but the vocals were a treat for the ears too! There is a much more emotionally powerful rendition towards the end of this production which really focused on how much of a talented singer Millie really is! The elves and Santa decide that in order to get the sleigh back to the North Pole they must create a new magical wish which means telling the story of how Snowflake managed to create her own wish many years ago!
One of the characters we meet throughout this story of Snowflake is Lilly (played by the amazing Naomi Katiyo) who is an extremely kind-hearted young girl who is very upset that there are people in her community who go without food. While she is only little, she is able to use her passion for cooking to make jars of jam and delivers them to those who need it most. The fact that the UK is currently facing a cost of living crisis with more people than even using food bank services, helps to bring the message of kindness from this play to the doorstep of every single person in the audience. We are all able to show some sort of kindness to those who are less fortunate than ourselves so promoting this message to a younger audience is vital, now more than ever! One of these jam jars makes it to the home of Freddie, Eddie (played by Richie and Keely respectively) and their father who are a family struggling to make ends meet during the run-up to Christmas. The much-needed jar of jam helps to feed the three people for the evening and then they finally decide to throw the empty jar away. At this point the incredible song all about small acts of kindness was sung which encourages everyone to think about each other which is especially important with everything going on right now! While the jar is waiting to be collected, however, a distressed and stray snowflake (who is one of our lead characters in disguise) floats into the jar while on her journey to make it to the North Pole. This wish of completing her journey combined with the kindness from Lily earlier in the story combine to give Snowflake the ability to fly where she heads straight to Santa’s to become a real elf! I do have to admit that the almost origin story of snowflake did overshadow the earlier story of Santa and his elves crash landing and the focus could have simply been on how the magic wish jar came to be rather than rediscovering the magic in order to use it to get back to the North Pole. The book-ending scenes with the stranded Christmas crew did seem also just tagged on the end with the center scenes where the story really began to gain momentum.
Overall, Santa’s Wish is a wonderfully festive Christmas musical that explores themes such as kindness and selflessness which are obviously very important. Seeing the faces of the young audience members being transfixed by the wonderful Santa or becoming overwhelmed with joy any time a performer would wave at them is fundamentally what Christmas is all about! I do have to say that I think the opening and closing scenes did seem to fall a little flat but the origin story of Snowflake is where this production really came to life. The castle itself has been wonderfully decorated with two ice skating experiences and so I would recommend young families (or Christmas-obsessed people like myself) to make a day of visiting the castle and making sure they catch a performance of this adorable show. I would rate this production 4 out of 5 stars!
You can find out more about the production and book tickets here
Elen Benfelen / Goldilocks production images, Carri Munn (Nain / Papi Bear), Elin Gruffydd (Elen) Photo by Mark Duoet
(4 / 5)
A Perfect Introduction to Theatre
Elgan Rhys’ adaptation of Goldilocks at the Sherman Theatre is a magical production that offers a wonderful introduction to theatre for young children. The piece, directed by Nia Morris, is a modern re-telling of the classic fairy tale. Although audiences will recognise the names of the characters and references to porridge, chairs and beds – the story moves in a different direction.
Goldilocks, played by Elin Gruffydd, is a friendlier and more endearing version of the character that we are used to. She is an upstanding citizen of ‘Golden Town’ where her grandmother is the mayor. Goldilocks abides by the town’s endless list of rules, many of which are centred around an obsession with all things yellow, and she has achieved one of the highest accolades by growing the finest golden locks in town.
Things take a turn for the worst when Goldilocks discovers blue locks amongst her golden mane. Embarrassed and ashamed, she flees to the “periphery”, the outskirts of town where those that are different are banished and, according to legend, eaten by gruesome bears.
The fun, colourful bears that Goldilocks meets could not be different from what she was expecting – they even eat porridge with oat milk and sit on rainbow-coloured chairs! The bears challenge Goldilocks’ perceptions, helping her to embrace her new hair and teaching her to understand the importance of being herself. Inspired by this experience, she returns to Golden Town to champion the joy of being different.
Elen Benfelen / Goldilocks production images, Carri Munn (Nain / Papi Bear), Rhys ap Trefor (Dadi Bear / Villager), Elin Gruffydd (Elen) Photo by Mark Duoet
The story has a strong, positive message that is told in a fun and engaging way, using catchy songs and puppetry to keep young audiences enthralled throughout. Actors Carrie Munn and Rhys Ap Trefor who each played multiple roles interacted beautifully with the audience; at one point some children edged so far forward into the performance space they were practically sat on their laps but they incorporated this into the action and were able to expertly coax them back into the seating area.
The show is performed in the Sherman’s Studio Theatre where audiences have the option of sitting on benches or on the floor on large pink mats. The space is very friendly and welcoming which helps to relieve any fears that parents might have about keeping children quiet and sitting still for a long stretch. There seems to be a general acceptance that the audience probably will make some noise, eat sweets and wriggle about a bit. That being said, the level of concentration and excellent behaviour in the room is a testament to the quality of the performance – the audience were totally enraptured.
With a 50-minute running time and no interval, this delightful reimagination of a well-known tale is the perfect festive treat for a young family. We had a really enjoyable afternoon and would certainly recommend this performance as a lovely outing for families with young children.
Elen Benfelen / Goldilocks is at Sherman Theatre, Cardiff until 31st December 2022.You can find out more and book tickets here
Grangetown, 1913. A young girl called Stevie (Lily Beau) is about to face another Christmas without her mother, a Suffragette who is spending Christmas Eve on the campaign for women’s rights. Much to her mother’s disapproval, Stevie’s uncles gift her with a book of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. Yearning for a story of her own, Stevie finds herself transported in the weird and wacky Grimmdom and assembles a chorus of fairy tale characters on a quest for a happily ever after.
Written by Hannah McPake (who also plays Mother / the Snow Queen), and directed by Joe Murphy, Tales of the Brothers Grimm is proof positive that there’s no place like the Sherman at Christmastime. Their annual production has become as integral a part of the festive season as a mince pie, and their latest offering is a treat for all the senses.
McPake, most recently Peter Quince in the Sherman’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, continues to prove herself as a real tour de force both onstage and behind the scenes. Her writing is as crisp as snow and sparkles almost as much as her Snow Queen costume does: when she crashes onstage dressed like Elizabeth I as styled by Vivienne Westwood (actually the wonderful Hayley Grindle), you know you’re about to see something iconic.
While riffing on some of the most beloved fairy tales in existence, the show also affectionately draws on The Wizard of Oz, with Stevie stranded in a strange and magical world and wanting to get home. Her actions in the Grimmdom end up disrupting the fairy tale trajectories of Cinderella (Katie-Elin Salt), Sleeping Beauty (Bethzienna Williams), and Rapunzel (Sarah Workman) – and so they journey through the forest to find the Brothers Grimm and put their stories back on track.
The production plays with archetypes and doubles, with much of the hugely talented cast playing multiple roles and instruments. Kyle Lima and James Ifan play both Stevie’s stern bookbinding Uncles and the Brothers Grimm, who make a grand entrance singing a Europop banger while dressed in sparkly lederhosen – and if that doesn’t make you want to see the show, I don’t know what will. Ifan also steals hearts as a soul-searching Prince Charming while Lima huffs, puffs and blows the house down as a bluesy Big Bad Wolf.
Lily Beau leads the adventure brilliantly while Keiron Self as the Narrator (in his seventh Sherman Christmas production) holds everything together with a dollop of charm and a huge dose of silliness – he and apprentice actor Michael Morgan also get to join in on the sparkly lederhosen front, with much aplomb. Elin-Salt, Williams and Workman first take to the stage as the Uncles’ automaton-esque Bavarian helpers, before returning in full Disney mode to great effect. Williams, a finalist on The Voice in 2019, lends real power to ‘Wide Awake’, one of a host of brilliant songs by McPake and Lucy Rivers (with musical direction by Barnaby Southgate). Meanwhile, Hayley Grindle’s set and costumes underscore the jagged magic of this topsy-turvy fairy tale world.
Fairy tales are stories of transformation: straw can be turned into gold, a pumpkin into a carriage, and a frog into a prince. But while ‘happily ever after’ bookends the stories it can also trap its characters: in gender roles, in unhappy relationships, in the illusion of closure. The Narrator yearns for a name, Stevie for purpose – even the Snow Queen longs to rewrite her story. The princesses might all call on Prince Charming to save them, but he is just as much a victim to the patriarchy as they are. Even the Brothers Grimm are trapped by fame and expectations.
In a beautifully subversive move, McPake – as both actor and scribe – encourages her characters and her audience to think beyond ‘The End’: to flout the rules, to rescue ourselves, and to write our own stories. Tales of the Brothers Grimm is a feat of pure Grimmagiantion, and it proves something even deeper: the Sherman isn’t just the place you go to see a show: it’s a place you go to feel like you belong.
Tales of the Brothers Grimm is playing at the Sherman Theatre through to 31st December. There are a number of accessible performances (captioned, relaxed, and BSL interpreted) through its run, and reduced ticket prices for children and under 25s. More information on the show and how to book tickets here.
Throughout the year the inclusive community focused Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, put on a variety of performances and free activities.
The outside and interior of the Sherman has been revamped in the last couple of years and is elegantly decorated, modern seating and lighting.
Most recently the Sherman Theatre have also reached out into the heart of the local Cardiff communities, bringing the arts to the people.
I went to one of the Tales and Tea sessions at the Beacon Centre in St Mellons, to see A Better Land, by Catherine Dyson. The intimacy and no frills props, added to the enjoyment. Having a chat with the actors afterwards was a great way to share feedback and discuss the storyline.
This week, we had a midweek family treat to see Tales of The Brothers Grimm at the Sherman Theatre.
Credit Rhian Gregory
It surpassed my expectations, and personally, it was one of the best shows that the Sherman have put on in the lead up to Christmas, over the past decade.
I was blown away by the performers talents. Each and every one of them, played their character so well. Whoever cast the positions, did an excellent job. Notice I said talents. That’s because they all had multiple roles weaved in, acting, singing and playing an instrument.
Credit Mark Douet
What is Tales of the Brothers Grimm about?
Tales of the Brothers Grimm written by Hannah McPake, reimagines the stories of well known fairy tale characters.
On a journey to find her own story, Stevie, comes across Cinderella, Sleeping beauty and Rapunzel. Disaster happens, the stories aren’t as they are suppose to be. Together with the narrator and Prince Charming they journey to find the Brothers Grimm, who they hope can fix it back to how it was, and even give Stevie her own part in her own story. They believe the big bad wolf and Snow Queen is set out to destroy it all. But with a twist!
The show was very well written and scripted, with humour and fun, and a sincere message.
I liked how they began the show by entering at different positions in the auditorium. I could see the range of emotions the story and songs brought to the audience, including my own children. The warm soft songs, some with sadness and some with positivity, my children clasped my hand and pulled in for a hug, and the upbeat songs with audience interaction making them laugh and clap.
My eldest son asked if there is a soundtrack to purchase as he enjoyed the music so much.
The programme was family orientated with colouring and puzzles for children.
The smoke effects added to the atmosphere, maybe a bit too much at times that you couldn’t see the characters on the stage.
There were a couple of songs I couldn’t hear the words in the song clearly. This is just me being super picky by the way!
Overall, an exceptional performance! A huge well done to the whole cast, backstage, production, ushers, the staff and volunteers that make the theatre come to life.
Credit Mark Douet
I highly recommend a visit to see this show, which is on now until it finishes at the end of December.
Martin James Bartlett, Photo credit: Paul Marc Mitchell
(3 / 5)
It would prove to be an expectedly light affair with that of the Sinfonia of London, along with maestro John Wilson who excels in all he does. He is happy to bring the lighter side of classical to many an audience and we cant blame him for it.
What surprised me most about these players was the laid back approach. It all felt like one big jolly, the percussionists during their many rest periods had faces of children back in assembly. And two players in the back of the violins are clearly loved up. Wilson would even loose his baton during the second half of the evening, all in keeping with the strange air of the night.
Walton and his Scapino makes a great concert opener and the Sinfonia clearly had a lot of time with the piece with practice. It was the timbre of the whole thing, the jolting, romp like feel for these few minutes which flew by. Very charming and we craved more. Following on was the first Ravel of the night: Valses Nobles et Sentimentales. I find his music to be the equivalent of a bath bomb, light and fizzy, though swiftly leaving you with nothing of interest other than coloured water. The pieces displays strands and sinew, evocative of impressionism of the era. This is a piece which doesn’t command attention and you can drift of in thought.
Of major appeal was Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with soloist Martin James Bartlett. Playing with impish vigour, Barlett didn’t let up in it’s commanding jazz storm. It’s safe territory though back in its day, remaining groundbreaking for allowing popular music to be injected into classical. As ever the delight, this standard Gershwin delighted and we’d simply love to hear Barlett tackle his more meaty piano Concerto in F.
Upon hearing Debussy’s La Mer once again, I’ve found it to finally have appeal and intrigue. Maybe it’s the allusive nature of the score which is gradually waffling over me. Here the Sinfonia came into their own, the entire three movements inspired by the sea engulfed St David’s Hall, their shimmering, blazing delivery held up as a highlight of the night. What did annoy was the eye rolling choice of Ravel’s Boléro. The piece has reached meme level now, a joke even in his own day, met with boos and hisses. Wilson declared this to the the Welsh premier of the original version of the ballet score and not the later orchestral version.
There is little evidence of this being a premier proper and Wilson just seemed to have said this. The pieces in the it’s original guise is even more interminable, two snare drum players take turns with the tempo, a boring tennis match as we hear the same melody again and again. I’m all for minimalism but this takes the mickey. I was stunned by the amount of people stood on their feet after, though I will applause the players for a light, mostly French affair. They shall return in February with the glamour of MGM films…
As far as I’m concerned, the festive season doesn’t begin until I’ve been to see Theatr Clwyd’s infamous rock ‘n’ roll pantomime. This year it just happened to be one of my favourites tales-the tale of Robin Hood. Although what would this story be without the heroine, Maid Marian? Or MariOn as we say in Wales!
Upon taking our seats we enter the forest. In front of us, giant trees with tall branches on which hang posters declaring ‘We love Robin Hood’. In the centre, what looks like a tangle of circular green branches, on which is hidden the name of our hero; the ‘o’ in Robin cleverly disguised as a target and arrow which light up. We’ve already been transported to where our story begins, in Flint-sh-sh-shire, as the Sheriff believes it’s pronounced, much to the frustration of his subject, Clod!
Once again, the cast enthrall us with their many talents; sword fighting one moment, next playing the drums for a big musical number, then singing a power ballad full pelt before completing a costume change and dashing to the top of the set to play keyboards without the audience even noticing the transition! Just incredible. And the reason, for me, that Theatr Clwyd’s panto is head and shoulders above the rest!
Let’s just hope that this remains the case once director, Tamara Harvey, leaves her post to take on the role of Co-Artistic Director of the RSC next year!
The action kicks off straight away and it’s not long before the water guns are out, and bubbles are filling the auditorium! As ever, the music choices throughout are unique and punchy. The cast always surprises with songs you wouldn’t necessarily expect to hear in a traditional pantomime. This year we have a Beastie Boys classic, Lizzo’s Good as Hell, and a rip-roaring rendition of what has become the Welsh football team’s unofficial anthem ‘Yma o Hyd’, although this may not feel quite as uplifting now that the team are out of the World Cup!
Phylip Harries’ Dame, Lady Myfanwy of Mold, is right on target (sorry!). His comic timing, interaction with the audience and chemistry with his fellow cast members, particularly the ever-amusing Daniel Lloyd who plays Little John, are all superb, and his transformation into Wonder Woman is something to behold! I’m convinced the creative team dare each other, every panto season, to push the boundaries with the lewd jokes! Always tastefully delivered and appropriate enough to bypass any little ones in the crowd, the adults amongst us were in for a treat! One particular line about a casserole almost made me blush!
As always with a Theatr Clwyd panto, the Welsh language is heard plentifully throughout the production with frequent mentions of local places from Flintshire to Rhyl, Mold to Wrexham as well as greetings from each character often delivered in both English and Welsh. It’s so refreshing to hear real Welsh accents, lots of local references as well as Welsh songs and music underpinning the whole piece.
Stand out moments this year include Celia Cruwys-Finnigan as Maid Marion. Celia is a little pocket- rocket and portrays Marion perfectly: shifting from an underrated, pretty Princess to an awe-inspiring female with attitude. And for such a petite person, she has a huge set of lungs! The costumes also provided plenty of ‘wow’ moments, none more so than King Gruff’s final, and only, costume, which, to the untrained eye, made it look as if his subject (aptly named Drakeford!) was carrying him on his shoulders! Brilliantly funny! Also watch out for the lip sync challenge, a scene in itself, and one which has children and adults alike in fits of laughter
Photo Credit: Kirsten McTernan
However, the highlight for me, and others I’m sure, is Ben Locke as the Sheriff. Last year, Ben played Barry Island (the ‘Gaston’ character in Beauty and the Beast) and did such a fabulous job at being the villain that he was surely the obvious choice for the Sheriff. Ben seems to have a knack for playing a fantastically evil, handsome yet extremely camp baddie! Every line he delivers is flawless, his physicality is phenomenal and his comic timing perfect. Every facial expression is thought about and he’s clearly just having a wonderful time with this character!
Theatr Clwyd have done it again and brought to life classic tale in a very un-classic way! ‘Oh no, they haven’t!’ ‘Oh yes, they have!’
Theatr Clwyd, Mold November 30th, 2022-January 12th, 2023 Writer: Chris Patterson Director: Tamara Harvey Assistant Director: Juliette Manon Casting: Kay Magson CDG Set & Costume Designer: Adrian Gee Musical Director: Tayo Akinbode Choreographer: Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster Lighting Designer: Johanna Town Sound Designer: Matthew Williams Company Stage Manager: Cassey Driver
Cast includes Joe Butcher, Celia Cruwys-Finnigan, Connor Going, Caitlyn Lavagna, Lynwen Haf Roberts, Luke Thornton, Daniel Lloyd, Phylip Harries, Ben Locke, Alice McKenna, Chioma Uma Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes (inc. interval) Photo Credit: Kirsten McTernan
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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