Tag Archives: featured

Art

Review Whistler & Kyōsai, Royal Academy by James Ellis 

Leave a comment

 
out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Whistler’s Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan


out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Kyōsai: The Israel Goldman Collection 

A final gallery trip would be an action packed afternoon at the Royal Academy. In Whistler’s Woman in White show, we get a telling scope on Joanna Hiffernan, Irish model and muse to many an artist of her time. The show features her in many frames and other women in white from the era, Willkie Collin’s book of the same name getting referenced and a poster print from a staging looms over most viewers. A Klimt painting remains a thing of beauty, though we crave his more exuberant gold pieces. Rossetti’s painting of The Annunciation is one of the finest work here, of a slim build, the biblical image compress to a narrow canvass of tension. Truly something to marvel at.

Perhaps most fascinating is Joanna in Gustave Courbet’s Jo, the Irish Woman. Most remarkable, there are three version of the very same painting and it remains unclear which is the original. How fascinating to pick up on the slight variations in each of them, her eyes more sunken in one, her cheeks more rouge in another. It’s quite a candid work and it remained a highlight. Courbet’s Seascapes on the other hand felt quite pedestrian and of little interest, I spent a very short amount of time with them.

Of course, it all lead up to the big guns. Whistler’s Woman in White was the dazzling finale to this mostly fine exhibit. Joanna glows here, her red hair almost veil like with strangely little detail in it. As if a bride, she holds a flower and is atop a wolf skin rug. This is a moving encounter, Whilst proving his mastery though other work in the show would also prove this. She looks beyond the viewer as if lost in another realm, adding to the dreamy quality of the whole encounter. I can’t gush enough about this painting. Though quite a small exhibit, it’s effect is monumental.

Following on was something drastically different. Kawanabe Kyōsai’s work from Japan makes for a highly amusing and often touching apparition. It’s the ink work that really makes it. Some of the fine folklore and depictions of animals stand out. A female ghost is a horrible sight on one screen, a shocking sight in keeping with the superstition of his home country. The West adored his work and it’s easy to see why. Even just a cat with such a look of contentment makes for a joy to gaze upon. Some of the more outrageous drawings involves the bottoms and testicles of the figures, the latter being affronted by another more curious cat. You could almost hear the slide whistle.

The detailing on the robes of some women in the art is another eye watering detail. Also noteworthy how some of the crow works are highly figurative, the ink generously spread around, yet still it is clearly a crow. It’s the beak that gives it away, as well as the obvious black ink usage. A giant wide-spread panel sees demons and creatures, looking as if it was created yesterday, such was it’s fine quality (Gerald Scarf would lap it up!). This has clearly been well looked after (dating from 1871-1889. This would clearly go on to influence manga and anime, staples of Japanese culture today. Another fine show, for another fine artist.

At the Royal Academy of Arts, Whistler’s Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan continues till 22 May 2022 and Kyōsai: The Israel Goldman Collection till 19 June 2022.

Art

Review Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child by James Ellis

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

My time in London has mostly been swallowed up by theatre and music. Itching to see more fine art shows, I approached the Hayward Gallery to get my fix.

Starting with Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child, this was a partially haunting experience in my view. The French-American artist had a long career and this show lingers with work from the last 20 years of her long life. Real clothes and textiles drape certain installations, bones and wire haunt others. The act of birth and motherhood dominate a lot of the imagery. Her cloth heads and figures disturb for their uncanny qualities, shapes and forms are colourful and pleasing in other work. The gallery itself was busy to witness these worn pieces, alive in the macabre mood which stung in the air.

Female forms hang from the air, half the body a lumpy spiral with the loss of a head and arms. Bourgeois makes you see the female form anew through these warped, bumpy bodies. An element of bondage creeps in, with the hangings, the wrappings and use of cloths making for steamy, messed up sights. It can leave you puzzled and enthralled. One installation featured the roots of a tree, with a wooden hand perfectly fitting into one branch of the root, another pleasing sight. The black, headless bodies in an apparent act of coitus as perhaps the most messed up things in the entire exhibit. I found myself awash in a fight or flight response to it all.

Of course her giant spider creature, (her most famous piece) makes an outing, perhaps the true highlight of the show. Resting on a metal cage, along with its very own eggs, the work appears powerful if fragile, inspired if taxing to make. Visitors really drink in this and you could feel the love with may a photo taken with the momma spider creation. Bourgeois spoke of her family as if spiders: always mending and repairing. Her lovely insight about a spider never getting angry when its web is broken just making it anew, is a nice quote for the wistful state out world is today.

It is a gallery experience which is entrancing, but might just leave a bad taste in the mouth.

Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child continues at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre till 15 May 2022.

Opera & classical

Review ENO New Harewood Artists Recital, St Martin-In-The-Fields by James Ellis

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

My time in London is wrapping up. A day spent with English National Opera would herald a fine last day in the capital and I couldn’t have been happier. Though my health has comprised my enjoyment somewhat, I ventured on the New Harewood Artists recital at St Martin’s-in-the-Field.

I found joy in hearing more of Clara Schumann and her friend Brahms, in a mostly Germanic programme from bass William Thomas. With smouldering good looks and a surprising, volcanic voice, William has much promise, this set from him proving how perfect he would be for Don Giovanni and possibly some Wagner baddies, the Russian repertoire a must. There was a sensuality with these German lieder, a romance often awash in the joy of nature, true love and broken hearts. This was an opening I found very impressive.

A coughing fit would prevent me from hearing all of soprano Alexandra Oomens. I did get to savour Night by composer of colour Florence B. Price and sadly with eyes streaming and throat raging, I had to leave to acquire water. I stood at the back for the rest of the concert. What I did hear of Alexandra was an exquisite voice that I was upset I missed most of. Her recent outing in ENO’s HMS Pinafore proves her quick wit and broad repertoire outings. I can only apologise for my temperamental throat.

Last but not least, New Zealand born Sāmoan baritone Benson Wilson grappled with war and it’s aftermath. You can’t think of George Butterworth without thinking of A Shropshire Lad, a staple of WW1 memorials. These tender and often considerate songs were as English as cricket, builder’s tea and bulldogs. A touching orb seemed to hover over each song, the lingering sense of loss and regret is never far away. Butterworth was one of over the million men who lost their life at The Somme. Benson has meaty vocals, his looming stature and rugged nature also evident. The end with Robert Wiremu’s Ake Ake Kia Kaha E (Victory and Glory), the feel of an Italian art song, leading to a soaring haka, which rang out into the church. Marvellous.

The conclude all three singers offered a trio from Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Witty and delightful, this fragments again, proved the power of these three singers, talent and more talent. It’s only up from here!

ENO in the Fields counties with concerts till 30 April 2022.

Theatre

Review Sad ~(Omnibus Theatre) by Tanica Psalmist

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Sad is a deep dark comedy about the messiness of life, fragmented mental breakdowns & the overall sadness that the effects of life can have on humanity as a result of loss, failure, regret, disappointment & remorse.

Sad is produced by Felicity Paterson, directed by Marie McCarthy and written by ‘Victoria Willing’ held at the Omnibus Theatre starring Debra Baker as Gloria, Kevin Golding as Graham, Daniel as Lucus Hare & Izabella Urbanowicz as Magda. Sad explores the themes of pain, fear, loneliness, hurt, distress and trauma.

The powerful emotions felt when watching this play are super relatable! The original & authentic scenarios & resonating characters which we’ve all encountered at some stage in our lives is why! A truly strong emphasis on passive aggression, discrimination, subjection, perversion, secrecy, corruption, societal class, relationship issues and dysfunctional families.

Real life inflicting experiences which all contribute towards making our worlds an even sadder place from the outside looking in! Not to mention being let down by the system when they’re the only ones we can depend on. Sad!

Gloria, the adorable agitator & irritated instigator lives with her partner Graham in solitude where she finds harmony alone by herself, squating in the attic all day. Gloria’s conflicting insecurities & mid life crisis mentally blocks her till she refuses to express herself without being contentious. Being affectionate, loveable, warm & transparent towards her loved ones is too much to redeem. Pride soon becomes the foundation of Gloria eating away at her friendships, costing her relationship and being the ultimate maker or breaker of her destiny which only she can decide alongside Grapham’s support!

A compelling production that gives a strong reminder into a broken elderly woman’s mindset, livelihood and ongoing struggles which proves old age doesn’t mean life’s completely figured out! A play to help us acknowledge the what ifs and buts as we journal are life events! how easy life gradually becomes to loose yourself whilst trying to re-find yourself in the midsts of the internal chaos we desperately try to suppress rather than address.

Literature

Review Spring’s Green Shadow by Cecily Mackworth Publisher: Honno Welsh Women’s Press Review By Barbara Michaels

Leave a comment

 ISBN 1912905493,9781912905492,

 price £10.23 paperback, £7.59 Kindle (Amazon)

One of the latest additions to the Welsh Women’s Classics series published by Honno Welsh Women’s Press, Spring’s Green Shadow is a novel based on a true story – that of the author herself.  Cecily Mackworth, born in the early years of the twentieth century, (1911) was a journalist, author, and poet born and brought up in Wales who later lived in Paris during a period of political turbulence.

First published in 1952, set in both Wales and Paris, this new edition of Mackworth’s novel has a lengthy introduction by historian and biographer Angela John, an honorary professor of Swansea University.

And thereby lies the rub, for worthy and meticulous in detail as is John’s introduction, it also to some extent gives the game away.  In many respects, Cecily Mackworth’s own story can be seen as similar to that of the novel’s fictional heroine, Laura Gethryn. However, any sense of deja vue is justified giving as it does the raison d’ȇtre of the novel.

As the story opens the reader is introduced to Laura, the intellectually inclined and high-spirited daughter of a father left broken and emasculated by the first World War and a mother, made demanding and bad tempered by events.  The early years of Laura’s life are spent living with her parents in Monmouthshire where her father’s family have been landowners for many generations. Continually berated by her parents for not conforming to the dictates of the time regarding a woman’s role in life and a daughter’s duty – i.e.to make a good marriage – Laura’s frustration erupts into action when she comes under the influence of the working-class intellectual Mr Howells. Rebelling against her mother’s refusal to allow her to pursue her education, Laura escapes to begin a new life with the Howells family

The focus on woman’s emancipation gives a contemporary feel to this novel, despite it being evocative of a bygone era.  Mackworth’s brilliant descriptive powers give a vivid and at times uncomfortable portrayal of life as it was back in the early part of the twentieth century for an ambitious woman writer determined to bring some unpleasant truths to the notice of the powers that be.

 While it has to be said that this part of her book is to a degree biographical, giving as it does a close resemblance to Mackworth’s own experiences as a woman who was herself involved in at times dangerous confrontations regarding a number of controversial issues., it is none the worse for doing so.

Not only is Spring’s Green Shadow an interesting read in its own right as a novel, it has the additional benefit of historical worth, documenting as it does the mores of an era in which long-held beliefs both at home and abroad were questioned as the winds of change blew over Europe.

Opera & classical

Review Joyce DiDonato: Eden, The Barbican Centre by James Ellis

Leave a comment
Photo by Mark Allan

out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

I returned to the Barbican, to watch American mezzo Joyce DiDonata who gave a supreme evening of hand picked songs and arias inspired by the thrill of nature. Even as we sat down, seeds had been left on our seats for us to take home, a sweet little gift. This had the feel of an ambitious work, the small platform Joyce loiters was constantly shifting, with two silver orbs courting around her, her own ring cycle if you will. Ives’ The Unanswered Question lost the trumpet and Joyce took on the role in an ethereal change to the notation. Rachel Portman’s premier of The First Morning of the World was a luscious evocation, leading to some Mahler, Copland and Gluck. Opera lovers will relish this buffet of sweet treats from Theodora, Orfeo ed Euridice and La Calisto.

I was filled with sheer joy to hear Joyce sing, the world simply glows when she does. There is a grand, sumptuous quality in her execution, I now know what all the fuss is about. Different languages are easily converted, Joyce easily going in between English, German and Italian with ease. A funny moment came when a part of the rotating rings disconnect and with a smile, she put a finger to her lips. The concluding Mahler, the final song from Rückert-Lieder was of such a devastating impact, I found it hard to keep things together. The words are of a figure dying, leaving the world to the feel of some of Mahler’s finest, calmest music. Joyce captured the intensity of the lieder and is one of perhaps the finest living singers to tackle it. I could have cried for longer.

Encores of Wagner and Handel were so appreciated. It also has to said how wonderful Joyce’s time spent with children in music workshops is, leading to a touching new song delivered by them all and performed to the audience of opera lovers and proud parents. She spoke of how we’ve changed after Covid and how they couldn’t find a choir for workshops in Luxembourg (think of that happening in Wales!). Children and adults alike need live music now after all we’ve been through. Grabbing her autograph, she remarked I was the first critic she’d met who was after such a thing. I will cherish it, just like this concert.

Joyce DiDonato: Eden runs at the Barbican Centre till 6 April 2022.

Musical, Theatre

Review Anyone Can Whistle, Southwark Playhouse by James Ellis 

Leave a comment

Photo Credit: Danny With a Camera 

out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

Please note this is a review of a preview performance

Floods of tributes for Steven Sondheim have poured in since his death in November. Send in the Clowns often gets in my head, I doubt I could think of a song more perfect. A legacy has been left with highs and lows, featuring lesser known stage work going back decades. Anyone Can Whistle is one such example.

The Grey Area Theatre and Alex Conder have taken a risk with this musical, certainly not one of his shows which comes to mind, more of a Pointless answer on that TV quiz (I remember getting Merrily We Roll Along as a winning answer). It reeks of mid 60’s, on the cusp of free love and the big revolutions of the day. The book by Arthur Laurents is not as sharp nor comical as it should be. Sondheim here has the promise of great songs, with that machine-gun quick lyricism that comes later, more defined more acclaimed pieces. The story tries to put under a microscope miracles, society, identity and the medical professions, yet doesn’t achieve any deep insight or whimsy. Strangely, there was a feel of Mark Twain and Dr Seuss for different reasons.

Past this, here is a peppy, diverse ensemble who put a lot of effort in a confined cat-walk with a band up on a rampart. The theatre has little of a set, a rock for the miracle MacGuffin to occur, some motels signs and a wheelbarrow full of glitter being passed of as the holy water. The leads have charisma. Jordan Broatch is J. Bowden Hapgood, Donovan meets The Darkness in a role full of subtle swagger and a happy-go lucky, deception. Alex Young gets most of the laughs as Cora Hoover Hooper, the silly-billy mayoress in a state of constant corruption, her only paranoia to be struck out of office, an act on a knife edge of occurring throughout. Christina Symone as Nurse Fay Apple, is the up tight sort, losing herself in her daft French disguise, proving some decent vocals. The full cast had enough energy to conduct electricity, the buzz of the space hard to deny. Costumes hark back to the psychedelic, hipster days, with an 80s nod in the second act as well.

I saw the last preview performance and noted the screens with music director Natalie Pound in the last two acts lost a signal, with some desperate attempts by a stagehand to fix this. The band were alive with the upbeat plateau that the musical little left. I feel the show might have suited a slighter large venue, I noted a few near slips off the platform, though nothing dramatic. Perhaps then you would be able to drink in the notorious sanatorium dance numbers, a larger rock set might have added to the drama as well.

Musical

Review We Will Rock You, Wales Millennium Centre by Rhys Payne

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

One of the key reasons that I love musical theatre is the fact that it transcends language barriers, cultures, age etc. While I thoroughly enjoy straight plays, they do rely heavily on the understanding from the audience whereas regardless of background everyone can enjoy a pretty tune, incredible vocals or even some insane choreography. Even if you don’t understand the words that are being sung, every one person can appreciate the performance elements to it which spans across languages for example. During the summer of 2016, I travelled to Hungary to help teach English to a group of learners attending a summer camp. At the end of the week, we hosted a talent show where anyone could showcase the weird and wonderful talents they possessed (and there absolutely was a range!) As the British team, we decided to do a lip-sync to the extremely unmistakable styles of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie by putting on a performance of under pressure. Going into our act I was concerned that the Hungarian kids would be bored and not enjoy their act but in fact, by the end of the number everyone was singing along in their own mother tongue which was incredible to witness! I was tasked with the colossal responsibility of taking on the role of the wonderfully eccentric Freddie Mercury who who is known for his over-the-top and striking personality. Physicalising these nuisances and personality quirks were very intimidating for me as everyone know how much of an enigma the Queen front man used to be and regardless of our placement within the talent show itself, I was proud that I managed to strut across the stage (in a semi-Freddie way) with everyone getting involved regardless of the language they spoke!

We Will Rock You is a musical that is based entirely on the musical of Queen and revolved around a group of characters who rebel against the people in charge and try to reignite a love for rock music. The year is 2300 and the entire world has been taken over by an international platform called global soft that almost brainwashes everyone into thinking and acting in exactly the same way. Firstly, the idea of a social media platform slowly taking over the world to control the minds of selected people is a lot closer than we as a race would like to hope. With the announcement of Meta by Mark Zuckerberg and the rise of popularity in certain social media sites, we are already being influenced by advertising and the censorship at times of free speech does suggest that if these media giants wanted to, they could easily create a false reality! Before we could even take our seats in the audience, we were greeted with signs telling people not to sing along to the performance as the performers should be the focal point. There have been hundreds of arguments online about whether or not people should be allowed to sing along with, and I totally appreciate the fact that especially for jukebox musicals we are aware of the songs before the musical is even created! However, I thought it was nice for the show to make a definitive stand and outright discourage audience participation. This was pitched as “do not sing along unless invited by the cast” which was clear but there was really no point where the cast explicitly ask the audience to sing along. As this is a musical of Queen’s greatest hits and the audience were discouraged from singing, I thought that it could have been done with a mega mix at the end of the show where the audience can sing and dance their little hearts out! There was an incredible encore performance of Bohemian Rhapsody at the end of the show, but it was never explained if the audience should should not join in with this iconic number. I think that as many audience members were able to stay quiet throughout the entire show (which even I struggled with at certain points) there should have been an opportunity at the end of the show tie the audience to sing and dances as well! Despite being a show set almost one hundred years into the future, the show is riddled with many popular culture references including clever weaving song lyrics/titles into dialogue, references to social media and mentioning of COVID (including one hilarious joke about needing protection with our two lovers simply putting on face masks before going to bed!)

As the story progresses the audience discovers that it is not just over two lead characters Galileo and Scaramouche (played by the wonderful pairing of Ian McIntosh and Elena Skye respectively) who feel as if global soft is brainwashing people and so join a rebel alliance to help and re-discover the power of rock music that is banned across the land! As discussed earlier my extremely short performance as queen singer Freddie Mercury filled me up with a lot of fear due to how eccentric he was, and this has in turn developed and a deeper sense of sympathy from me to anyone who even attempts to re-create the magic Freddie possessed! It seems that Ian Mcintosh was extremely comfortable performing some of Queen’s most iconic numbers throughout the show. While he was not taking in the role of Freddie per-say but as our lead character, he was responsible for heading up the performances of many of Queen’s most popular songs. I thought that as the show progresses, Ian becomes increasingly comfortable and confident in this role with his physically be the end of the show being the most Freddie-esque which complimented to narrative perfectly! Alongside Galileo for the majority of the show was Scaramouche played by Elena Skye who managed to perfectly portray the journey from outcasted student to official rock star fanatically with her performance of “Somebody to love” being absolutely incredible. It is very rare to see members of the audience giving standing up ovations halfway through an act, but many people were up on their feet after this incredible performance!

My personal highlight through the whole show however would have to be Jenny O’Leary who played the wicked Killer Queen and delivered some of the best vocal runs I have seen in an awfully long time! Her performance of the show must go on was quite possibly one of the most vocally powerful performances with her insane riffs being highlighted throughout. It is clear that Jenny is not only a ridiculously talented vocalist but also contains a stage presence that cannot be matched! She was able to command the audience’s attention and own every single piece of the staging ever when being in the foreground, I still found myself focusing on this gifted performer. During the first act, this character can be seen performing extremely powerful hand gestures and rather unique accent which to me seed very reminiscent of the iconic Devine/ my favourite Disney villain Ursula. The latter of these two inspirations was clearly embedded by the fact that Killer queen spent the majority of act one in a mermaid sequin outfit that not only looked incredible in Jenny but also paid homage to the iconic Villain form the little mermaid! Apart from being hit after hit from debatably the world’s greatest rock band, there were also a few moments of raw emotion in this production. There was an insanely moving performance towards the end of act one of “No One But You” which by itself is very moving but added on top of this it was performance by the character referred to simply as meatloaf and as we are all away meatloaf recently lost his life after a battle with COVID. This performance was respectfully done and had many audience members (myself include) awfully close to tears! While talking about recognition, I thought it was great that the band of this production were actually given an opportunity for a stage bow which is even more important knowing that the show has heavily reliant on rock music. The band were included in scenes at certain points and accompanied performers throughout and so I thought it was a nice touch that they received some praise at the end of the show!

Overall, this is a show crammed full of some of the Queen’s most iconic songs and so if you are a fan of the band or were around during their meteoric rise to fame then you will love hearing some of your favourites being performed live! I did find that the songs were the focal point of the show with the narrative almost being a second thought which is great if you are coming with the intention of celebrating queen and their music! Every member of the cast was incredibly talented and performed excellently at all times and so I would rate this show 4 out of 5 stars!

Musical

Review We Will Rock You, Wales Millennium Centre by Rhian Gregory

1 Comment

“Pounding, powerful, electrifying brilliant!“

What a show to choose to make my first visit back since before Covid, a memorable thrilling experience! I’ve missed coming to watch musicals at the Wales Millennium Centre.

As I entered the auditorium, I re-appreciated the magnificent decor and architecture all over again .

We Will Rock You, like most theatre shows, was postponed for two years. It was meant to be returning to Cardiff in 2020, pushed back to 2021 and now 2022.

It’s been disappointing for all involved, the audience coming to see the show but for the all the cast, crew and staff involved in making a theatre. Such difficult unknown times.

During covid quarantine lockdown, I turned up the volume and sang at the top of my voice, “ I Want to Break Free” many times. “Under Pressure is another song from We Will Rock You, I had on repeat. True story!

The We Will Rock You smash hit musical, is written by Ben Elton and incorporates 24 of Queens greatest hits. Live sensational singing and what a rocking live band!

This year is actually the 20th anniversary since it premiered in London back in 2002 at the Dominion Theatre.

For tonights performance, I have to mention, two of the main characters, Scaramouche, played by Elena Skye, and Killer Queen, played by Jenny O’Leary.

The female empowerment I felt from these 2 incredible artists! Just wow!

I was blown away by the lead actresses voices! Exceptional control and tone, and the power! Incredible!

The humour and wit, with the many popular song name quotes in their dialogue and purposely mispronounced object names, got the audience laughing every time!

Go out, enjoy and treat yourself and support your local theatres!

You will certainly be foot tapping, hand tapping , head nodding and singing the Queen songs for days afterwards.

We Will Rock You is at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff until the 16th April 2022.

It continues its rescheduled U.K. 2022 tour, to Bristol, Reading, Aylesbury, Ipswich, Torquay, Wolverhampton, Wimbledon, Stockton-on-Tees, Peterborough, Norwich, Bromley, Birmingham, Southend-on-Sea, Canterbury, Southampton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Sheffield and Manchester.

Visit and book here for the Wales Millennium Centre In Cardiff.

Film & TV

Series Review, Stad, S4C, by Gareth Williams

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

It is the North West that seems to be in the Welsh TV spotlight recently. The final series of Hidden has begun, Rybish has returned, and a brand-new series called Stad has just completed its run.  Set on a council estate near Caernarfon, it combines the drama and comedy of the aforementioned to create a slightly off-piste narrative similar to Enid a Lucy. This has made it lightly entertaining and surprisingly engrossing; a series that does not make you want to binge from the off but, by the time it reaches its final episode, leaves you desperate for more.

Stad is not strictly original, coming ten years after its highly-popular predecessor Tipyn o Stad ended on S4C. Viewers of that series will recognise the return of a few familiar characters, not least the Gurkha family. However, no prior knowledge is needed to enter this new chapter in the life of Maes Menai, described as “North Wales’ most colourful housing estate”. The opening scene might feel a bit overwhelming and thus confusing for those, like me, entering this world for the first time. But it does not take long to adjust to its tragi-comic genre and realise that the historic connections between some of these characters are no barrier to its accessibility. Instead, one becomes steadily intrigued by the issues, situations and circumstances that arise within the first episode and as the series progresses. Mental health is but one subject which is tackled with a surprising sensitivity, particularly in respect of trauma and loss. Elen Gwynne, for example, gives the most acute performance as Susan whose struggle with bereavement is portrayed onscreen in such a way as to be funny without being derisive.

The writers Manon Wyn Jones, Angharad Elen and Daf Palfrey have pitched the darkness and light of this drama to perfection. There is a bit of a Breaking Bad influence that seems to hang over it in more ways than one. There is the obvious connection to the selling of drugs for financial security, but it is also the hapless nature of the partnership between Ed Lovell (Bryn Fôn) and Dan (Sion Eifion) that strikes chords with the father-son relationship of Walter White and Jesse. The two also find themselves in sometimes absurd situations, like being held hostage by a crossbow-wielding farmer by the name of Iona Kebab (Janet Aethwy). Such wild, crazy scenarios end up contrasting nicely with the far more real-world dilemmas of other characters, like Alaw. Begw Rowlands ensures a real likability towards her character, playing her with a confidence that is tinged with a deeper, hidden vulnerability. It draws much sympathy when she discovers that she is pregnant, and makes her gently blossoming relationship with Kim (Gwenno Fôn) all-the-more sweeter.

Stad can feel a bit pedestrian at times, measured and paced, with no rush to excite or entice viewers into a suspenseful or twisting narrative. It prefers to operate at the most basic level of human drama even as some of its storylines take on a surrealist edge. This means that we get to know the characters themselves in the context of their ordinary lives and is what makes the final part of the series so unexpected and heightens the tension around it. We come to really care as Alaw attacks her dad Keith (Rhodri Meilir), with seemingly-terminal ramifications, and Ed Lovell finds himself trapped in the basement of a burning house. It ratchets up the anticipation before running into the closing credits to devasting effect. Suddenly, it is edge-of-your-seat stuff. A second series is demanded.

Stad becomes a series that gradually wins your heart and then has the power to break it.

Click here to watch the full series.

Reviewed by
Gareth Williams