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Cardiff company perform award winning show about real Welsh men |
Following its success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Cardiff’s Shock n Awe Performance Company will be bringing their award winning show, Muscle, to Sherman Cymru, Cardiff from 14-17 March to kick start their Welsh tour. Muscle stars an all male cast which is based on extraordinary interviews with Welsh men that were undertaken by award winning playwright and Greg Cullen and choreographer and dancer Phil Williams. Together they set out to research the lives of men in Wales, but were amazed by what they uncovered. Writer and Director of Muscle, Greg Cullen said: “We interviewed every conceivable type of man, from gangsters to hippy farmers, from six year olds to eighty six year old. Once they started talking the most incredible stories poured out of them”. Hence Muscle became a multi-layered collage of hilarious, tragic and inspirational true stories, which explodes on stage using dance, physical theatre, song, drama, comedy and storytelling of the highest order.” Muscle is a richly textured, emotional rollercoaster of theatre, dance, music and film which portrays all the characters from Mars and from Venus too. The all male cast play many parts, including all the female characters. “We wanted to dump the myth that men can’t understand women. We’ve grown up with women, been raised by them and love them so why not play them with integrity? That’s not to deny that they are sometimes outrageous and funny, but then aren’t we all?” said Greg Cullen. Muscle was the first production by Cardiff based Shock n Awe which won the prestigious Herald Angel Award in 2011 as well gaining four and five star reviews as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The cast for Muscle includes, Hugh Thomas who began his career in Lyndsey Anderson’s “If” before a long career in Wales which included writing, directing and appearing in Pobol y Cwm. “His story of a young boy’s first sexual fumblings is one of the highlights of the show,” says Greg Cullen. Nigerian born actor Sule Rimi plays the characters of a Cardiff docks boy and a valleys woman looking for a quickie, while Dean Rehman’s portrays a Cardiff Taxi driver who spent every other month in the desert fighting Gadaffi. Such stories are common and go to prove, as Greg says, “That everyone has a story, there’s no such thing as ordinary.” Perhaps one of the more unexpected things about Muscle is that women love the show just as much as men. “In the end it’s about being humane. Men aren’t trapped within stereotypes; it’s up to them to choose. Being male is often violent, confusing and scary, but it’s also capable of being something beautiful, hilarious and nurturing.” Adds Greg. Muscle is an entertaining evening of inspirational stories and performances which will be at the new Sherman Cymru, Cardiff from 14-17 March at 8pm. Tickets are £12. Under 25s get half price tickets. This production is suitable for ages 14+. There will be a post show talk on 16 March. For further information and tickets, please contact Sherman Cymru’s Ticket Office on 029 2064 6900 or visit www.shermancymru.co.uk |
| Sherman Cymru web site: www.shermancymru.co.uk |
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Thursday, February 23, 2012 |
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