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Acclaimed Lloyd George play on national tour Wednesday 16 November, 7.30pm Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan A new one-man play about the life of the great Welsh statesman David Lloyd George visits Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, on Wednesday 16th November as part of a Wales-wide tour this year. The Wizard, the Goat and the Man who won the War, which features BAFTA-winning actor Richard Elfyn, explores the mind and moods of the master politician and discovers mystery, poetry and a great deal of humour. Written and directed by Cardiff-based dramatist D.J.Britton, The Wizard, the Goat and the Man who won the War is the result of a lengthy collaboration between writer and actor. An early version was given a reading in Lloyd George’s home village of Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd, and last year the play had its first full pilot performance to great acclaim, at the Dylan Thomas Festival in Swansea. As the inventor of the British welfare state, Lloyd George’s impact on Britain is never far from the news and remains a crucial reference point for modern politicians: In 1921 he secured the settlement that established the Irish Free State and in the summer of 1922, Lloyd George was involved in a scandal involving the selling of knighthoods and peerages. In Alastair Campbell’s diaries, published recently, the Labour spin doctor quotes Tony Blair describing Gordon Brown as “a Lloyd George figure, had massive qualities but was flawed”. As Britain heads into a new pensions crisis, the man who a century ago introduced the state pension is as fascinating as ever. The title of the play stems from the three nicknames given by the Press to a leader who took coalition government and political scandal in his stride and still found time for a colourful personal life. He was a giant of 20th Century global politics, yet his life poses many unanswered questions: How could this impoverished Welsh-speaking chapel boy become the steely Prime Minister who saw Britain through the First World War? How could the champion of non-conformist Christianity become a womaniser who lived a double life with his long-term mistress? How could this protector of the poor risk so much to advance his own personal wealth? The setting for Britton’s fictional drama is Antibes in the south of France at the time of Lloyd George’s 50th wedding anniversary. From there, his imagination travels the length of his life history, and relishes the thought of further personal and political conquests. The tour has been supported by funding from the Arts Council of Wales with production help from Swansea’s Taliesin Arts Centre, which is where the production will have its premiere performance on November 10th. D.J. Britton has won international awards with major stage hits such as Plainsong and Cargo. His version of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure for Sherman Cymru last year received rave reviews, and he was dramaturg on the ambitious Shelf Life project in the National Theatre Wales premiere season. Having moved to Wales from Australia, he is now Senior Lecturer in Dramatic Writing at Swansea University. Richard Elfyn is one of Wales’ best-loved performers with credits ranging from TV productions such as The History of Mr Polly and major stage productions including Clwyd Theatr Cymru’s recent To Kill A Mockingbird to movies like The Dark. Born in Bangor and brought up in Pwllheli, he now lives near Cardiff. Said Britton: “Lloyd George is a dramatist’s dream, a mass of contradictions: charismatic, intelligent, foolish, impulsive, clinically decisive and painfully human. I wrote this progressively, giving Richard a few pages at a time, and he grew to possess the role as much as it possessed him. “It may be a one-man play, but don’t expect a monologue. Richard becomes all the people in Lloyd George’s world and somehow manages to sing and dance his way into the great man’s soul. “It’s been a great privilege working with such a committed actor who seems to find reserves of energy from nowhere. Apparently Lloyd George could do that too. My favourite bit is where Richard as Lloyd George gets the War Cabinet to sing Myfanwy. It’s a glorious piece of performance.” Tickets for The Wizard, The Goat and The Man Who Won The War are £12 (£11) and are available to book now from Theatr Mwldan's Box Office on 01239 621200, online at www.mwldan.co.uk or via Smart phones at mwldan.ticketsolve.com/mobile. |
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Monday, October 31, 2011 |
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