Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru’s successful production of Dyled Eileen which toured in 2013 will be staged at this year’s National Eisteddfod in Llanelli, from the 4th until the 8th of August. The play, an adaption of the original work by Angharad Tomos toured Wales last year but will be going back to its roots by being performed at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Carmarthenshire. The play tells the story of Eileen and Trefor Beasley and their fight for rights for the Welsh language. The burning of the Bombing School on the Llŷn Peninsula was what first made Eileen Beasley aware of her Welshness. She was a fifteen year old school girl at the time, and couldn’t believe the abhorrence shown towards the Three at Penyberth. There was not much discussion of politics at home on the farm near Whitland, Carmarthenshire where she was brought up, but she saw how Wales and its language suffered at the hands of the authorities at the time. Eileen and Trefor fought against English language tax bills, which led to them losing nearly all of their possessions as the bailiffs cleared their parlour of furniture piece by piece. This warm-hearted portrait brings the turbulent period of the 50s to life – before Saunders Lewis’s famous radio speech – and leads us to remember the sacrifice of the young couple and their unrelenting struggle for fairness for the Welsh language. Rhian Morgan, winner of the award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Eileen Beasley in 2013 at the Welsh Theatre Critics Awards will return to play the title role. Ceri Murphy, featured recently on S4C’s series, 35 Diwrnod will return to play Trefor Beasley and Gwenllian Higginson will join the cast anew as Young Eileen. Being part part of this production for the first time is exciting for Gwenllian and it’s a story close to her heart. She said; “The Beasley’s were family friends and I’m honoured to tell their story. I remember Eileen from when I was a little girl and her story has always been an inspiration. It’s also a pleasure for me to join Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru for the first time. I’m excited to get to work on the play and perform to an audience local to the Beasleys.” Rehearsals have already begun at Y Llwyfan, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru’s home in Carmarthen with Elen Bowman returning to direct the project. She said “With all the research on the history of the Beasleys that we did last year and seeing the actors portray the characters so well, I feel like I have got to know Eileen and Trefor very well. Their sacrifice on behalf of the language is something I admire greatly and taking the production to Carmarthenshire is important to make sure as many people as possible are aware of their history.” Dyled Eileen will be performed at Coleg Sir Gâr, Campws y Graig between the 4th and 8th of August. Tickets are on sale now through the Eisteddfod. |
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Thursday, July 3, 2014 |
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