What is striking about Welsh play Imrie is its richness. Rich in language. Rich in description. Rich in lighting. Rich in characterisation. This coming-of-age story is like a rainbow bursting into life, pouring its colour out on stage with a vibrancy that reverberates throughout the whole production. Each element resembles a charged particle which, inContinue reading “Imrie – A Sherman Theatre/Fran Wen Co-production”
Category Archives: Welsh Arts Scene
Steeltown Murders – BBC Wales
Steeltown Murders may be yet another Welsh drama in the ever-popular crime genre, but it is very well done on the whole. Telling the true story of how DNA was used in a pioneering way to solve a cold case in Port Talbot, it flits between the 1973 setting of the murders of three girlsContinue reading “Steeltown Murders – BBC Wales”
Jodie Marie – Polar Night
Three weeks in the Arctic Circle has certainly left its mark on Jodie Marie. The Welsh singer-songwriter’s new EP shivers with the cold fjord breeze and echoes the icy terrain of Norway’s northern tip. Yet there is also a log-fire intimacy and crunching of soft snow in its sound. It evokes a wild landscape ofContinue reading “Jodie Marie – Polar Night”
Trouble in Butetown – Donmar Warehouse
To see the Wales-based play Trouble in Butetown performed on a London stage was a tantalising experience. This was a rare example of accent and language reverberating around a place not situated within the confines of its nation. To hear Welsh being spoken miles from home in front of a multicultural audience where English wasContinue reading “Trouble in Butetown – Donmar Warehouse”
Y Sŵn – A Swnllyd/Joio/S4C Co-production
What a fascinating film Y Sŵn is. No sooner has its writer, Roger Williams, struck gold with cult horror Y Gwledd than his Midas touch turns to the marking of forty years of S4C with this: a striking production that is as offbeat and realist, telling the story of how the Welsh TV channel cameContinue reading “Y Sŵn – A Swnllyd/Joio/S4C Co-production”
Pijin / Pigeon – Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru / Theatr Iolo
Based on the best-selling novel Pigeon by author Alys Conran, this stage adaptation by Bethan Marlow sees Welsh and English subtly woven together, with every performance using integrated captioning in such a creative way as to lead me to undertake an experimental review in its honour: The show is currently on tour. Dates and ticketsContinue reading “Pijin / Pigeon – Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru / Theatr Iolo”
Bryony Sier – Picture Not So Perfect
Bryony Sier has entered early into the festive season with a faithful adaptation of a Christmas novella. ‘Picture Not So Perfect’ is titled after Stephanie O’Neil’s debut publication, and retells the story of protagonist Holly in charming detail. It is essentially a love story in which Holly, after losing her mother at a young ageContinue reading “Bryony Sier – Picture Not So Perfect”
The Goudies – Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Cover)
One of the unexpected highlights at this year’s British Country Music Festival was a cover of the theme tune to classic sitcom ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’. Wales-based duo The Goudies fashioned a completely new take on this beloved song, with surprisingly successful results. Its popularity with live audiences is perhaps one of the reasonsContinue reading “The Goudies – Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Cover)”
Dal y Mellt – Episode 1 Review
It could be that Dal y Mellt is S4C’s most ambitious drama to date. Episode one certainly promised much from a series that looks set to deliver. Adapted from the hit novel by Iwan ‘Iwcs’ Roberts, the narrative weaves mystery, comedy and crime seamlessly to create a world that is universally recognisable whilst being inherentlyContinue reading “Dal y Mellt – Episode 1 Review”
Elin Grace – Bee Without Wings
One of the most exciting talents coming through this year’s Forté project is surely 18-year-old Elin Grace. The singer-songwriter from Mid Wales has just released an EP of sheer brilliance. ‘Bee Without Wings’ may only be her debut release but it demonstrates a maturity far beyond her years. Lyrically complex, sonically fascinating, vocally mesmerising, theContinue reading “Elin Grace – Bee Without Wings”
