National Theatre Wales is preparing for a month-long residency on Anglesey throughout June, led by a new production.
Things I Forgot I Remembered, a co-production with Hoipolloi, marks the return to his native Anglesey of artist Hugh Hughes*. In his first ever production on Anglesey – which has been central to his every performance to date – the idiosyncratic Hugh will introduce audiences to the island from his own quirky perspective, using stage, film and audio performances.
After reading his childhood journals, Hugh was reminded of the kind of man he once imagined becoming. For the last six months he has been working relentlessly, from behind his desk, to save the world from disaster. Now, he emerges with a theatre production, determined to save the world. In this hilarious, new, one-man show, Hugh relinquishes his title of ‘emerging artist’ and adopts the definition of ‘ordinary man’ as he sees the need for art to burst beyond its boundaries.
In addition to the stage performances, there will be free storywalks around Hugh’s home town of Llangefni, in which audiences will be guided around the town in small groups, listening on special headsets to Hugh’s anecdotes about the local characters. And free storyboxes will be dotted around the island housing a variety of audio clips, films and objects from Hugh’s life.
Alongside the production, National Theatre Wales’ month-long residency will include:
over a month of collaboration with local artists from all disciplines through the company’s WalesLab initiative, including a two-week WalesLab summer camp and an DIY festival of emerging work 14th-16th June
an Anglesey Assembly, held as part of the company’s debate and performance Assembly programme
gigs by up-and-coming bands on the island, organised in collaboration the Welsh Music Foundation, which supports and assists the development of the music industry in Wales.
Hugh Hughes is an artist from Wales, Anglesey, Llangefni to be precise, and his story has been one of creativity, charm and making connections. It’s also been a journey of exploration – when Hoipolloi first met Hugh, he was working on a project about beached whales using photography as his medium – and Hugh has since embraced different media to enhance the way he shares his stories. In 2005, Hugh Hughes created Floating – the fantastical tale of the island that floated away that was subsequently aired on BBC Radio 4 as an afternoon play. He worked with Hoipolloi and his friend Sioned to develop a way of bringing his experiences to life by merging recorded medium with theatre performance and storytelling. Hugh second show, Story of a Rabbit saw Hugh working with his friend Aled, who played live music to capture the atmosphere expressed in the story. In 360 Hugh boldly dispatched with set, props and music to perform a story about friendship that exercised the imagination of the audience. Stories from an Invisible Town, his latest show, was crafted from the memories of Hugh and his brother, Derwyn, and sister, Delyth. That project was stuffed so full of memories that it spilled off stage into an online world. Hugh is really looking forward to returning to his roots in Anglesey and making a very special new show with National Theatre Wales.
The heart of Hoipolloi is the creation of new work. With a sense of adventure, a thirst for pleasure and an instinct for laughter we work towards discovering ways of presenting work that will engage and excite our audiences. We create work that is full of energy and verve, connecting with a broad audience and sweeping them away from their everyday lives. Our brand of theatre enables audiences to delve deep into their imaginations and brings them to the edge of their seats, making them laugh along the way. Hoipolloi has also been delighted to facilitate Hugh’s continued exploration of digital opportunities, and we are thrilled to have recently presented a show that can be experienced both in the theatre and online at www.invisibletownstories.co.uk We think this is quite a radical step, and are really interested in the way that audiences will engage with the depth and breadth of material made by Hugh, Delyth and Derwyn, which we’ve presented online in their childhood home.
* Hugh Hughes is the creation and alter-ego of writer and performer Shôn Dale-Jones, Artistic Director of Hoipolloi. Hugh is a sell-out, cult figure in many UK theatre festivals, especially the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but has never appeared on Anglesey until now.
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