Sherman Theatre have announced their Summer programme which sees new interpretations of Under Milk Wood, Twelfth Night, Stravinsky reimagined, as well as new dramas from Tobacco Factory’s inspired true story about the artist Banksy; an exciting collaboration between Paines Plough/ Clwyd Theatr Cymru and Sherman Cymru in Not The Worst Place and a social experiment involving mobile phones. There’s also live music from Lee Mead and 9Bach. Plus there’s something for children of all ages with Not Now, Bernard, Rock Pool and Maudie’s Rooms that returns for 3 weeks during the Easter Holiday following the success of the site specific show for young people (and adults!).
Filter Theatre in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company has an explosive rock concert take on Twelfth Night on 1 & 2 April. This story of romance, satire and mistaken identity is crafted into one of the most exciting and accessible Shakespeare productions of recent years. Experience the madness of love in this heady world where riotous gig meets Shakespeare.
As part of the Dylan Thomas centenary, Taliesin Arts Centre presents Under Milk Wood: An Opera on 11 & 12 April. In 1954, Dylan Thomas caused a literary storm with his play for voices, Under Milk Wood.
Sixty years on, Wales’ leading opera composer, John Metcalf creates a groundbreaking new opera and recreates Thomas’ world of Llareggub - the town that went mad.
As well as reimagining classic and contemporary plays, Sherman Theatre is thrilled to host exciting Welsh and English language new dramas. Sam Burns’ tough and sensitive new play, Not The Worst Place (6-10 May) is an exciting collaborations between Paines Plough / Clwyd Theatr Cymru / Sherman Cymru. 17 year old Emma dreams of travelling adventures beyond her Swansea home and Rhys, her idle boyfriend, has other plans for them. Camped out on Swansea seafront, they must confront the difficult question of what it takes to leave the place that shaped everything they are and tackles conflicting emotions about the place we call home.
In 2011, Banksy sprayed “THIS LOOKS A BIT LIKE AN ELEPHANT” on a disused water tank in LA. The tank was residence for a local legend, Tachowa Covington, who over seven years had furnished it with carpets, a stove – even CCTV. The tank instantly became a work of art and was taken away to be sold. Suddenly, Tachowa was homeless again. Starring Gary Beadle (EastEnders’ Paul Trueman) Banksy: Room In the Elephant will be at Sherman Theatre from 12 – 14 May and is a story about creating something from nothing and then having it taken away, in the name of art.
The play will be followed by a screening of Something from Nothing, documentary maker Hal Samples’ short film about Tachowa and the tank, edited from material gathered over 7 years.
Theatre Genedlaethol Cymru returns to Sherman on 13 May following the successful tour of Bloddeuwedd earlier this year with Caryl Lewis’s Y Negesydd - a new chilling play set in 1950s Ceredigion about an exceptional woman, who re-lives not only her own harrowing past, but the pain and torment of a community facing rapid change. Directed by Ffion Davis and staring Sara Gregory (Hinterland).
Sherman Theatre is to host Lee Mead and 9Bach this Summer. Lee Mead who is best known for winning the TV programme Any Dream Will Do and catapulting to stardom in Joseph in London's West End will bringing his very successful concert show to Sherman and will be performing songs from some musical shows and some of his personal favourite songs on 4 May. Following Lisa Jen’s performance in Sherman Cymru’s The Sleeping Beauties, the singer and actress will be performing as part of her newly signed band, 9Bach on 23 May.
Dance Touring Partnership will be touring Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre’s The Rite of Spring & Petrushka on 8 & 9 April. Performed by an international cast of 14, both works are theatrical interpretations of the original Stravinsky music that created such outrage and excitement in the early 20th century. The two halves of Michael Keegan-Dolan’s thrilling dance theatre double bill are a contrast in light and dark. The imagery in The Rite of Spring is dark, shocking, violent and sexual. The rhythmic elements of the music are played out in scenes of a pagan fertility rite, as age is sacrificed and mother earth is worshipped. By contrast Petrushka is white and bright and light. Elements of folk dances and warmer days are conjured as couples dance for approval from their ancestors. An echo of Petrushka the puppet is there too! This performance is suitable for an older audience of 16+ due to the sexual imagery and scenes of nudity.
Building on the success of international hit Scattered, Motionhouse’s brand new production Broken (21 May) erupts onto the stage examining our precarious relationship with the earth. This powerful company submerge highly athletic dance within intricate digital imagery and original music in a visual and adrenaline fuelled spectacle. Hanging in suspense, diving for support and scrambling to safety, the dancers negotiate the cracks and craters of this world of illusions where nothing is quite as it seems. Ravishing, delicate and poignant, Broken will take audiences on a journey into the earth, as they have never seen it before…
In April and in June Cardiff based company, TaikaBox will be presenting two exciting performances that fuses digital and dance to create work for stage, screen and site. On the 26 April, TaikaBox and Wales-based Moon, known for creating high quality interactive products and experiences, invite audiences to take part in a creative social experiment in Please Switch On Your Mobile Phones. Throughout the evening audiences will be asked to contribute stories via their smartphone or tablet that will be used to create a unique performance. They will also have the chance to vote on how the performance develops and to control elements of lighting, sound and video directly from their device. The performance is the first public event in a series of tests throughout Wales as part of the Digital Research & Development Fund for the Arts in Wales – supported by Nesta, Arts & Humanities Research Council and public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council of Wales.
On 11 June TaikaBox return to Sherman with Beyond the Body. Set amongst the shifting light of projected digital environments, five other-worldly characters embark on personal journeys of self development, bringing them together in a beautifully crafted performance that explores our relationship with our environment, our beliefs, our bodies and each other.
Wales Dance Platform returns to Sherman on 29 June and Mike Pearson’s Lesson’s of Anatomy will be at Sherman on 5 & 6 July forty years after he first ever performance of this piece at the Sherman.
For young people, Sherman Theatre are delighted to host the only date for the National Theatre Connections Festival on 4 & 5 April. Each year the National Theatre invites ten writers to create new plays for young people to perform. This spring 220 youth theatre companies will present the premieres of these plays in venues from Scotland to Cornwall and Northern Ireland to Norfolk. Ten companies from across the UK will go on to perform at the National Theatre. Connections celebrates great new writing for the stage - and the energy, commitment and talent of young theatre-makers.
Children and young people will be entertained this Easter with the award-winning Unicorn Theatre and their adaptation of the story Not Now Bernard at Sherman from 15-19 April which is ideal for ages 2+. For slightly older children aged 7+ (and adults) the unique Maudie’s Rooms returns at Easter from 11-26 April at its site specific home at the top of Bute Street near Mermaid Quay. This Roar Ensemble co-production with Sherman Cymru sees Louise Osborn’s (Sherman Cymru’s Cinders, Plum and me Will) creation come to life once again where family audiences can follow a sumptuously visual promenade through Maudie’s home, meeting extraordinary characters along the way and interacting with all the sights, sounds and scents from this amazing adventure.
Later in the summer China Plate present Inspector Sands’s Rock Pool on 30 & 31 May ideal for ages 3+ with rock music and splashy dancing. A big storm leaves two very different creatures stranded in a rock pool far from the sea. As their little pool starts to drain away Prawn and Crab don’t have long to find a way of getting on and getting home. Funny, tender, exuberant, partially submerged theatre from award-winning company Inspector Sands.
Arad Goch return to Sherman with a Welsh language show ideal for children aged 6+ and adult learners. Mordaith Anhygoel Madog (20-21 June) is the story of a young boy who ends up on a huge ship with none other than Prince Madog and his crew destined to leave Wales. Based on the legend of Madog and his crew who were the ones to discover America, audiences are invited on board the journey West where they face fierce storms, wild sea animals, and a ghost ships before discovering new land. Come aboard and celebrate Cwmni Theatre Arad Goch’s 25th birthday!
And Sherman Cymru can announce their Christmas shows for 2014 as The Ugly Duckling / Yr Hwyaden Fach Hyll for ages 3-6 and for older children and their families Arabian Nights.
For full details and listings of shows please visit www.shermancymru.co.uk or contact Sherman Cymru’s Ticket Office on 029 2064 6900
Season listings
Twelfth Night
Filter Theatre in association with Royal Shakespeare Company
1 & 2 April, 7.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £15-£22, Concessions £2 off, under 25s half price
National Theatre Connections
4 & 5 April – times vary. See website for full details.
Theatre 1 & Theatre 2
Tickets £5 per performance
The Rite of Spring & Petrushka
Dance Touring Partnership presents Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre
8 & 9 April, 7.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £15-£22, Concessions £2 off, under 25s half price
Ages 16+ contains scenes of nudity and sexual imagery.
Under Milk Wood: An Opera
Taliesin Arts Centre
11 & 12 April, 7.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £15-£25, Concessions £2 off, under 25s half price
Maudie’s Rooms
Roar Ensemble in a co-production with Sherman Cymru
11-26 April, 3pm & 7pm
(Except Sundays, Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday)
Site specific performance on Bute Street, Cardiff Bay
Tickets £8
Family Ticket £28 (up to 4 people)
Ages 8+
Not Now Bernard
Unicorn Theatre
15-19 April
Theatre 2
Running time 50 minutes
Tickets £8
Ages 2+
Please Switch on Your Mobile Phones
TaikaBox & Moon
26 April
Theatre 1
Tickets £5
2 hours
Lee Mead in Concert
Sunday 4 May, 6.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £25. Cream Tea Package £30 / Sparkling Cream Tea Package £32
Not The Worst Place
Paines Plough/ Clwyd Theatre Cymru / Sherman Cymru
6 – 10 May, 8pm
Theatre 2
Tickets £14, Concessions £2 off and under 25s half price tickets.
Banksy: Room In The Elephant
Tobacco Factory
12 – 14 May, 8pm
Theatre 2
Tickets £14, Concessions £2 off and under 25s half price tickets.
Y Negesydd
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
13 May, 7.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £12 - £20, Concessions £2 off and under 25s half price tickets.
Performed in Welsh
Broken
Motionhouse
21 May, 7.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £12 - £20, Concessions £2 off and under 25s half price tickets.
9Bach
23 May, 7.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £16
Rock Pool
China Plate present Inspector Sands
30 & 31 May, 11am & 2pm
Theatre 2
Tickets £8
Ages 3+
Crowds and Power
Sherman Cymru Youth Theatre
5-7 June
Theatre 1
Tickets £8
Mordaith Anhygoel Madog
Arad Goch
20 June 10.30am & 21 June 11am
Theatre 1
Tickets £8
Schools and children £6
Performed in Welsh
Ages 6+
Beyond the Body
Taikabox
11 June, 7.30pm
Theatre 1
Tickets £12, Concessions £2 off and under 25s half price tickets.
Wales Dance Platform
29 June
Theatre 1 & Theatre 2
The Lesson of Anatomy
5 & 6 July
Theatre 2
Tickets £10, concessions £2 off and under 25s half price tickets.
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