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Torch Theatre Nominated for four Wales Theatre Awards including the Audience Award voted for by the General Public… |
The company’s production Grav, about the life of Welsh rugby legend Ray Gravell, has been shortlisted for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writer and the coveted Best English Language Production Award. Best Director nominee and Artistic Director of the Torch Theatre said; “To be nominated for so many awards caps what has been a wonderful year for the Torch. We have had some notable successes over the year with Oh Hello in Edinburgh and Brief Encounter here at the Torch; we also broke our box office records for pantomime with Jack and the Beanstalk but the Grav journey has been very special and is showing no signs of ending. It’s been fantastic!” Grav will embark on its second tour in February and March of this year and actor Gareth Bale who has performed the play over 50 times, can’t get enough of it. “The last twelve months have been a whirlwind. It's quite surreal to think that it was just a year ago I was walking miles and running lines before even starting rehearsals. We have had a Welsh tour, sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, performed a very emotional show in Grav's home village of Mynydd-y-Garreg and been invited to perform internationally since then. It was always meant to be a tribute to a true Welsh Great and the audience reaction is the most pleasing aspect for me - the laughter and the tears that the play generates.” Every single production has to start with a writer and the writer of the play Owen Thomas, nominated for Best Writer, regales how the idea first came about and what it meant to him to embark on this project. “In my own development as a playwright I had always wanted the opportunity to write a one man show, to use my skills to bring to life on stage a figure of great importance. A chance conversation with my friend and collaborator, Gareth John Bale, sparked my interest in turning this focus to Ray Gravell. I had always been aware of him as a cultural figure and sporting legend, but deeper research into who he was and the scale of what he achieved in his life convinced me that this was a story I had to write.” The play has received full support from Ray Gravell’s wife and two daughters who will also be attending the Awards Ceremony in Cardiff on 30 January. Grav is also up for the Audience Award where the general public can vote for their favourite production of 2015. Anyone wishing to vote for should email walestheatreawards@gmail.com and put ‘Grav’ in the subject line. Grav will tour Wales once more in February and March, opening at the Torch Theatre on Tuesday 9 February before travelling to 18 venues around the country. Tour dates and ticket information can be found at www.grav.cymru. |
| web site: www.grav.cymru |
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Thursday, January 21, 2016 |
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