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On Tuesday, 6 August at 2.30pm at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama's stand at The National Eisteddfod, the College will be launching the publication of a commissioned drama by Meic Povey, entitled Sylw. This Welsh-language drama was commissioned by RWCMD in partnership with Sgript Cymru. Catrin Llwyd (Senior Drama Lecturer) will be hosting the launch and welcoming Meic Povey. Principal, Edmond Fivet will also be present. Catrin Llwyd said "This commission of new work by one of the leading playwrights of Wales is a bold new venture for the College. It's good for the College and for Welsh theatre". On writing Sylw, Meic Povey commented "The experience was very unique in that I was writing specifically for a cast I had met a year beforehand; it was very refreshing to work with young, vibrant students who are so committed to their chosen profession. I felt it was very important that this project be their showcase, their stage and I very much wanted to give them the best material to work with. Since there were six characters, there was a fair amount of writing to be done, and it was a challenge to make sure that each character was given equal amounts of 'stage-time'. Working with Eryl (Director) and Catrin was great, and I'm thrilled that Sylw has now been published by the College." As one of the UK's eight conservatoires, WCMD enjoys a unique position in Wales as the only provider of vocational, professional training in music and drama at conservatoire level. Many of the teaching staff are working professionals who share their expertise and experiences with the student, working in supportive and creative surroundings. __________________________________________________ Meic Povey Meic Povey hails from Blaen Namor, Eryri, and is one of ten children. He began his career in 1968 as a stage manager for Cwmni Theatr Cymru. Apart from a period of three and a half years as script editor on the first series of Pobl y Cwm (under the direction of the late Gwenlyn Parry), Meic has been a freelance writer and actor. His work for film, television and stage include: Nos Sadwrn Bach; Taff Acre; Meistres y Chwarae; Sul y Blodau; Babylon By-Passed; Y Filltir Sgwar; Christmas Story; Nel; Yr Ynys; Terfyn; Y Cadfridog; Chwara Plant; Gwaed Oer; Diwedd y Byd; Yn Debyg Iawn i Ti a Fi; Tair; Heliwr; 31.12.99; Deryn/Cerddwn Ymlaen/Glas y Dorlan (cyd-ysgrifennu); Talcen Caled 1, 11 a 111. __________________________________________________ Drama at College The College's new research strategy includes Welsh playwriting fellowships. The College sees part of its role in Wales as being not only to bring forward the next generation of performers, theatre designers and stage managers, but to help develop the dramatic repertoire, and it has certainly made a good start. Two initiatives are under way: 1. Three-year project Six of the great plays of the world are translated into Welsh by some of the best playwrights in Wales for use in Welsh-medium acting projects. In 2000/1 Sion Eirian's translations of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge and Bertolt Brecht's The Mother were specially commissioned. Sion's translation of Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector, will be published by the College in September. 2. The second initiative is the commissioning of three full-length original plays in Welsh by leading playwrights for public performance at the College and for publication in paperback with colour photographs of the production. Cegin y Diafol, also by Sion Eirian, was premiered in the Caird Studio Theatre in February 2001 with a cast of third-year acting students directed by the deputy artistic director of Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Tim Baker. It then toured Wales. The remaining two plays in that series are commissioned in partnership with Sgript Cymru. Sylw, by Meic Povey, was performed by third-year acting students directed by Eryl Huw Phillips in the Bute Theatre, Cardiff in February 2002, followed by a tour of Wales. Gary Owen has been commissioned to write the play for 2003. His most recent work, The Shadow of a Boy, opened at the National Theatre, London in June 2002 with a cast of four made up of three of our graduates -- Catrin Rhys, Rob Storr and Jo Stone-Fewings. |
| Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama web site: www.rwcmd.ac.uk/news |
| Gaenor Howells e-mail: gaenor.howells@clynecommunications.com |
Monday, August 5, 2002 |
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