Edinburgh Fringe Shows / Homeless World Cup

This is the time of year when all theatrical activity ceases everywhere except in Edinburgh, so I thought I might as well flag up my reviews of those productions I’ve seen in Cardiff which are playing on the Festival Fringe – all of them solo shows, as it happens.

Carys Eleri’s multimedia take on love and loneliness, “Lovecraft” returns, last year’s run having been curtailed due to a bereavement; National Theatre Wales are showcasing two of their N.H.S. monologues, including Rachel Trezise’s abortion-themed “Cotton Fingers”; Dirty Protest are offering Sian Owen’s Newport odyssey “How To Be Brave”; Jonny Cotsen muses on his experience of a lifetime of deafness in “Louder Is Not Always Clearer”; and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama are bringing Benjamin McCann’s apocalyptic “Grit”. There’s also a non-Welsh show which played at The Other Room: “Laurie Black – Space Cadette”.

 

Carys Eleri (Photo - Kirsten McTernan)

Meanwhile, in Cardiff, the Homeless World Cup, backed spiritual and financially by Welsh actor Michael Sheen has been happening, which was well worth popping down to see in the city’s Bute Park, whether to check out the four-a-side sporting action, or other events, including musical entertainment in the evening. On Thursday, I managed to see the much-acclaimed relative indie newcomers Mellt, who were very impressive; as well as one of the finest bands ever to come out of Wales, The Joy Formidable, led by charismatic guitar heroine Ritzy, who mentioned that they were marking their tenth anniversary. Some very powerful, emotional songs, anchored by some jazz-tinged bass-playing; with the genial mood enhanced by the rabble-rousing drummer. Lovely stuff.

The Joy Formidable (with Michael Sheen side of stage)

"Kinky Boots" / "Grit"

Still running, as I write, at the Wales Millennium Centre is “Kinky Boots”, the Broadway/West End hit stopping off as part of an extensive U.K tour. This tale of a struggling Northampton shoe-making factory which saves itself by starting to cater to the drag queen market features a dazzling central performance from Kayi Ushe as Lola (aka Simon), and a mercifully non-musical-theatre-esque song score by Cyndi Lauper. And without getting bogged down in debate, Harvey Fierstein’s script provokes discussion about the nature of masculinity.

Kayi Ushe in "Kinky Boots" (Photo: Helen Maybanks)

The night after seeing this, I went to a preview of a show at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of scale – a one-man play on a post-apocalyptic theme, which is being taken to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. “Grit”, written and performed by Benjamin McCann, is a highly accomplished production – it will be interesting to see how the Edinburgh run goes.

"How My Light Is Spent" / "Last Days Of Judas Iscariot" / "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol, 2"

A recent reviewing assignment was “How My Light Is Spent” the latest play by Alan Harris, and one of the winners of the Bruntwood Prize in 2015. It is the Newport-set tale of the developing relationship between a recently unemployed man, played by Rhodri Meilir, who feels that he is literally disappearing, and Alexandria Riley’s phone-sex worker, who is also floundering. Both actors also take on the roles of other, equally lost supporting characters, in this funny and poignant piece. Another co-producing triumph for the Sherman Theatre.

"How My Light Is Spent" (photo: Jonathan Keenan)

Most recently, I had the chance to review one of the end-of-year productions from the Richard Burton Company at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama – “Last Days Of Judas Iscariot” by New York playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. Given the size of the cast, and the combination of a serious religious theme and a profanely comic tone, it hasn’t been professionally produced as often as it might have, so I was grateful for the opportunity to see it. Doubtless amongst the excellent company there were actors I will one day boast about having in the same room as.

I only went to see the first “Guardians Of The Galaxy” film some weeks into its cinema release, struck by its surprise success, and found it charming, if nonsensical. The second film in James Gunn’s series makes even less sense, involving as it does, Kurt Russell turning up as Chris Pratt’s alien father, who is actually a planet (or something), and Pratt’s gang of misfits being chased across the universe by a gold-painted Elisabeth Debicki after stealing some batteries. It was good to see a beefed up role for Karen Gillan, however, as Zoe Saldana’s understandably bitter sister; and the whole thing is colourfully entertaining, and full of Python-esque self-undercutting humour.

"Make An Aria"

Back in November, I was forwarded an e-mail from Michael McCarthy, Artistic Director of Music Theatre Wales, seeking writers to take part in their latest Make An Aria project, exploring the topic of immigration. This was in connection with their up-coming production of “The Golden Dragon” – an opera about asylum-seekers in Germany.

I was aware of the company’s pioneering work in the area of contemporary opera, and of their most recent aria programme, focussing on World War 1. Knowing little about opera (although I did go and see “Porgy And Bess” at the Wales Millennium Centre a few years ago, and “Turandot” at the New Theatre several years earlier), and always keen to try new things, I leapt at the opportunity to learn more.

A few days later, I found myself in a room at the Royal Welsh College of Music And Drama, with a bunch of other writers, several students of composition along with composer John Hardy (their head of department), Michael McCarthy and Michael Rafferty of MTW, and representatives from the Welsh Refugee Council. We were given a brief introduction to the concept of the aria, as well as some actual facts and figures about the asylum system as it applies to Wales, before hearing the remarkable testimony of Mustafa, a former soldier who has been forced to leave Gambia.

There was then a clever “speed-dating” exercise, where writers and composers interacted briefly whilst discussing imagery, following which we were put into pairs and, basically, told to get on with creating an original aria.

"Speed-dating" at RWCMD (photo: Music Theatre Wales)

Within a week, I had presented a first draft of a one-page libretto entitled “In Limbo” to my lucky collaborator, Carlijn Metselaar. We had already agreed that our take on the issue of immigration should be broadly positive, and that the writing of political theorist Hannah Arendt might be a good starting-point; I found a quote of hers about a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany which I borrowed for the opening line. Our protagonist is a universal character, meditating on his statelessness; I tried to keep the text simple, direct and fluent.

Over the next few months, via e-mail communications and a handful of meetings and consultations (from which I took the useful note that it is hard to make the word “limbo” sound serious in an operatic context), our aria magically came into being.

The climax finally arrived on June 2^nd.

I first heard the piece during the afternoon rehearsal, with singer Rodney Clarke accompanied by Ian Shaw on piano; frankly I was lost for words. Carlijn had sent me the score, but with my primary-school-level sight-reading skills, I could only glean a vague idea of the melody. Finally getting a sense of the way in which she brilliantly used shifting time-signatures to signal the changes in mood throughout the piece – a kind of journey from a dark place to an optimistic one – with my words given life by a powerful, dramatic voice, I was profoundly moved.

The public masterclass, later that evening, was a bit of a blur.

Each writer/composer pairing (the others were Pey Pey Oh & Daniel Soley; Eric Ngalle Charles & Joe Shrimpling; Wanda O’Connor & Andrew Wallace; and Jeanne Jones & Charlotte Eaton-Jones) was called up on stage to introduce their aria, which was then performed (the other singers being Llio Evans and Martha Jones), prior to Stuart MacRae (composer of MTW’s recent production “The Devil Inside”) briefly interrogating the creative team, and bringing his experienced ear to bear on the interaction between text, music and performance and ways in which this might be enhanced.

Stuart MacRae (photo: Music Theatre Wales)

The show ended with Zimbabwean performer Bevin Magama accompanying himself on the mbira as he told the story of The Rat and The Porcupine – itself, vaguely asylum-themed.

A beautiful experience – transcendent, even.

"Mermaid" / "Little Sure Shot" / Poetry Storehouse

Two British Theatre Guide reviewing assignment on consecutive nights this week; both shows aimed at young audiences.

Firstly, “Mermaid”, from Shared Experience at Sherman Cymru; Polly Teale’s contemporary take on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” – some dazzling aquatic-themed movement, but there were some issues with the intersecting narratives, and I found it slightly ironic that in a piece about female empowerment, the most interesting character was a man.

Next, at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, “Little Sure Shot”, Lucy Rivers’ musical take on the story of cowgirl superstar Annie Oakley; also with a vaguely feminist empowerment theme. Very well done, but shockingly poorly attended. The first televised Welsh election debate was taking place in the larger performance space in the same building – probably less edifying.

 Little Sure Shot (Farrows Creative)

This week, I notched up my 50^th video for verse taken from The Poetry Storehouse. It’s been a wild ride.

"The Noisy Person I Am" - by Christine Potter from OTHNIEL SMITH on Vimeo.