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A GOOD CLEAN HEART TO TOUR WALES FOLLOWING EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE DEBUT |
A Neontopia and Wales Millennium Centre co-production, in association with The Other Room and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, supported by the Arts Council of WalesFollowing their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut, Neontopia & Wales Millennium Centre will bring winner of Wales Theatre Award 2016 Best Playwright in the English Language, Alun Saunders’ funny and moving play, A Good Clean Heart, to Wales. A Good Clean Heart, originally produced by and premiered at Cardiff's award-winning pub theatre The Other Room, is a moving coming-of-age story about two brothers raised by different families, speaking different languages. Having suppressed any desire to know more about his early life, before he was adopted, on his 18th birthday Hefin discovers not only that has a sibling, but that he wasn't - as he'd always believed - born in Wales. On a defiant whim, Hefin takes a trip to meet his long-lost big brother, and crash-lands in a totally alien universe, just two hours down the M4. Directed by Mared Swain, and with animated surtitles in both English and Welsh, A Good Clean Heart asks whether the love between two siblings raised in different cultures can overcome their differences Writer Alun Saunders said: “Mared and I came to the conclusion whilst at the Edinburgh Fringe 2015 that we should form a company and do our very best to take a production there the following year. That's here and now. Oh my. I'm as excited as a leaping gazelle (though less graceful) to have, not only managed to establish Neontopia as an exciting new company with one of my best friends, but to also be taking a piece of work - of which we're really proud - and putting it in front of an international audience at this year's Fringe before touring to our favourite venues around Wales. Mared and I met on the National Youth Theatre of Wales, have always remained friends, and have now established a solid and trusting working relationship. I wrote A Good Clean Heart whilst going through an incredibly difficult and complicated adoption process - I'm also proud to say that I now have two children who inspire me and bring me a heap of joy every single day, and also a play which will, hopefully, do the same for other people.” Director Mared Swain said: “Last year, when we originally staged 'A Good Clean Heart' at The Other Room we were overwhelmed by the positive response, by critics and audiences alike. Alun and I had put so much work into the production, that we felt that it was only the beginning of our journey with this play, and here we are now, on the next chapter, as Neontopia, taking our first ever production to Edinburgh and a National Tour, we really don't do things by halves! Since last year, a lot has changed in our lives. We have taken this time to form Neontopia, and have really embraced this opportunity to develop the play. This production feels very different to last year's, and I am glad that I have had the opportunity, as Director to explore a new approach to the play, ( something we don't always get to do as artists) . I am extremely excited to share this new production, to a wider audience in Edinburgh and across Wales, and I can't wait to see what the response will be. Louise Miles-Crust, Head of Programming at Wales Millennium Centre said: “We are thrilled to be co-producing A Good Clean Heart with Neontopia. The production was a great success at The Other Room in Cardiff and we really happy to be able to enable it to be seen by a wider audience in Edinburgh and around Wales. The Centre is the national cultural centre for Wales and celebrates Welsh culture by presenting an increased bilingual programme of work at the Centre, whilst also providing greater relevance across Wales and increasing its footprint through touring presentations.” Biographies Writer Alun Saunders' first full-length play; A Good Clean Heart, was The Other Room's first piece of new writing, completing their inaugural season alongside work by Sarah Kane and Howard Barker, and winning Alun the Wales Theatre Award for Best Playwright in the English Language. Having trained as an actor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Alun began writing during a very quiet temping assignment, going on to win Sherman Cymru's ScriptSlam competition in 2008 with his short play To Be Frank. He was recently selected to become a Writer on Attachment with Clwyd Theatr Cymru, and has previously written for Sherman Cymru and Theatr na n'Og, in addition to an array of short plays for Dirty Protest Theatre. Alun's play, 6:37, was produced by Dirty Protest Theatre and performed at the Royal Court, Latitude Festival and at National Theatre Wales & Dirty Protest’s Dirty, Gifted & Welsh festival of new writing. Alun is a Writer on Fiction Factory's highly successful drama series for S4C, Gwaith/Cartref, and is also writing an adaption of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes in English and in Welsh for the Sherman Theatre. Director Mared Swain is Artistic Director of Neontopia and has, in recent years, been Associate Director of The Other Room and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. She is also a founder member of Dirty Protest Theatre and has directed many of their shorts including plays performed at the London Roundhouse, The Almeida Theatre, Royal Court and Latitude Festival. She was Associate Director at Sherman Cymru for three years, and during her time there developed new work with Welsh language writers and directed Fe Ddaw’r Byd i Ben, Trwy’r Ddinas Hon, Cynnau Tân, The Snow Tiger/Teigr yr Eira and Corina Pavlova and The Lion’s Roar. For Dirty Protest, credits include After the End. Mared was shortlisted as Best Director at the Wales Theatre Awards for the original production of A Good Clean Heart at The Other Room in 2015. Mared is also currently working for Fiction Factory as Story Producer for the next series of Gwaith/Cartref for S4C. Full listings information: A GOOD CLEAN HEART A Neontopia and Wales Millennium Centre co-production, in association with The Other Room and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Writer: Alun Saunders Director: Mared Swain Set and Costume Designer: Carl Davies Video Designer: Zakk Hein Lighting Designer: Elanor Higgins Sound Designer: Dyfan Jones Production Manager: Glesni Price-Jones Cast: Hefin: James Ifan Jay: Oliver Wellington Tour dates & Box Office information: From 7 September – 22 October 2016; Clwyd Theatre Cymru 7 - 9 Sept 01352 701521 / theatrclwyd.com Pontardawe Arts Centre 14 Sept 01792 863722 / npttheatres.co.uk Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli 16 Sept 01758 704088 Riverfront, Newport 19 & 20 Sept 01633 656679 / tickets.newportlive.co.uk Pontio, Bangor 5 & 6 Oct 01248 382828 / pontio.co.uk Torch Theatre, Milford Haven 11 Oct 01646 695267 torchtheatre.co.uk Arad Goch, Aberystwyth 13 – 15 October 01970 617998 Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre 18-22 Oct 029 2063 6464 / wmc.org.uk Recommended for ages 14+. Cydgynhyrchiad Neontopia a Chanolfan Mileniwm Cymru, mewn cydweithrediad â The Other Room a Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru gyda chefnogaeth Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru A GOOD CLEAN HEART I DEITHIO LEDLED CYMRU WEDI’I PHERFFORMIAD CYNTAF YNG NGŴYL FRINGE CAEREDIN Ar ôl eu perfformiad cyntaf yng Ngŵyl Fringe Caeredin, daw Neontopia a Chanolfan Mileniwm Cymru â drama ddoniol ac emosiynol Alun Saunders, enillydd Gwobr Theatr Cymru 2016 am Ddramodydd Gorau yn yr Iaith Saesneg, A Good Clean Heart, i Gymru. Cynhyrchwyd a pherfformiwyd A Good Clean Heart yn wreiddiol yn theatr-dafarn The Other Room yng Nghaerdydd, enillwyr gwobr The Stage am Theatr Fringe Orau, 2015. Mae hi’n stori deimladwy am ddau frawd a fagwyd gan wahanol deuluoedd, mewn ieithoedd gwahanol. Wedi gwrthod pob awydd i wybod mwy am ei fywyd cynnar cyn iddo gael ei fabwysiadu, mae Hefin yn darganfod ar ddiwrnod ei ben-blwydd yn 18 oed nid yn unig fod ganddo frawd, ond hefyd na gafodd ei eni yng Nghymru. Mae Hefin yn penderfynu mynd i gwrdd â’i frawd mawr ‘newydd’, ac yn glanio mewn byd hollol estron, dim ond dwyawr i lawr yr M4. Wedi’i chyfarwyddo gan Mared Swain, gydag uwchdeitlau yn Saesneg a Chymraeg, mae A Good Clean Heart yn gofyn a oes modd i gariad rhwng dau frawd a fagwyd mewn diwylliannau gwahanol oroesi’u gwahaniaethau. Dywedodd y dramodydd Alun Saunders: “Roedd Mared a fi yng Ngwyl Fringe Caeredin 2015 pan benderfynon ni ffurfio cwmni a thrïo'n gorau glas i fynd â chynhyrchiad ein hunan yno'r flwyddyn ganlynol - sef eleni a nawr. O'r mowredd. 'Dwi mor gyffrous â hippo yn y mwd ein bod ni wedi gallu sefydlu Neontopia fel cwmni newydd mor gyffrous (a hynny gydag un o'n ffrindiau gorau), ond hefyd ein bod ni wedi gallu rhoi cynhyrchiad ry'n ni mor browd ohoni o flaen cynulleidfaoedd rhyngwladol yng Nghaeredin cyn i ni deithio ledled Cymru. 'Naeth Mared a fi gwrdd ar gwrs Theatr Cenedlaethol Ieuenctid Cymru yn 1998 - ry'n ni wedi bod yn ffrindiau agos ers hynny, ac wedi sefydlu perthynas weithiol hyderus a chadarn. 'Sgwennes i A Good Clean Heart yng nghanol cyfnod eithriadol o anodd tra'n mynd drwy'r broses mabwysiadu - dwi mor falch o ddweud 'mod i'n dad ar ddau o blant erbyn hyn sy'n fy ysbrydoli a llonni 'nghalon i bob dydd, a bod gen i ddrama neith, gobeithio, ysbrydoli eraill mewn ffordd debyg.” Dywedodd Gyfarwyddwraig y ddrama, Mared Swain: “Pan lwyfannwyd A Good Clean Heart y llynedd yn The Other Room roedden ni wedi’n synnu gan yr ymateb cadarnhaol, gan feirniaid a chynulleidfaoedd fel ei gilydd. Roedd Alun a minnau wedi gweithio’n galed ar y cynhyrchiad gwreddiol, ac yn teimlo taw dim ond megis dechrau’r daith yr oedden ni gyda’r ddrama, a dyma ni nawr, ar y bennod nesaf, fel Neontopia, yn mynd â’n cynhyrchiad cyntaf erioed i Gaeredin ac ar daith genedlaethol - dy’n ni wir ddim yn hanner-gwneud pethau! Ers y llynedd, mae llawer wedi newid yn ein bywydau. Ry’n ni wedi sefydlu Neontopia, ac rydyn ni’n wirioneddol wedi bachu ar y cyfle yma i ddatblygu’r ddrama. Mae’r cynhyrchiad yn teimlo’n wahanol iawn i’r llynedd, ac rwy’n falch fy mod wedi cael y cyfle, fel Cyfarwyddwr, i archwilio ymagwedd newydd at y ddrama (rhywbeth nad ydyn ni bob amser yn cael y cyfle i’w wneud fel artistiaid). Rwy’n hynod o gyffrous i rannu’r cynhyrchiad newydd hon gyda chynulleidfa ehangach yng Nghaeredin a ledled Cymru, a bron a thorri bol i weld beth fydd yr ymateb.” Dywedodd Louise Miles-Crust, Pennaeth Rhaglennu Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru: “Rydyn ni’n falch iawn o weithio ar y cyd â Neontopia ar A Good Clean Heart. Roedd y cynhyrchiad yn llwyddiant mawr yn The Other Room yng Nghaerdydd ac rydyn ni’n hapus iawn i gynulleidfa ehangach ei gweld yng Nghaeredin ac o amgylch Cymru. Mae’r Ganolfan yn ganolfan ddiwylliannol genedlaethol i Gymru ac yn dathlu diwylliant Cymru drwy gyflwyno rhaglen gynyddol ddwyieithog yn y Ganolfan, gan hefyd ddarparu mwy o berthnasedd yng Nghymru benbaladr a chynyddu ei ôl-troed drwy gyflwyniadau teithiol.” Bywgraffiadau Drama lawn cyntaf Alun Saunders A Good Clean Heart, oedd cynhyrchiad Ysgrifennu Newydd cyntaf The Other Room, gan gwblhau eu tymor cyntaf ochr yn ochr â gwaith gan Sarah Kane a Howard Barker. Enillodd Alun Wobr Theatr Cymru am y Dramodydd Gorau yn yr iaith Saesneg gyda’r ddrama hon. Wedi’i hyfforddi fel Actor yng Ngholeg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru, dechreuodd Alun ysgrifennu yn 2005, gan ennill cystadleuaeth ScriptSlam Sherman Cymru yn 2008 gyda’i ddrama fer, To Be Frank. Cafodd ei ddewis yn ddiweddar fel Ysgrifennwr Preswyl Clwyd Theatr Cymru, ac mae wedi hefyd wedi ysgrifennu i Sherman Cymru a Theatr na n'Og, yn ogystal ag amrywiaeth o ddramâu byrion i Theatr Dirty Protest. Cynhyrchwyd drama Alun, 6:37 gan Theatr Dirty Protest a’i pherfformio yn y Royal Court, Gŵyl Latitude ac yng ngŵyl ysgrifennu newydd National Theatre Wales a Dirty Protest, Dirty, Gifted & Welsh. Mae Alun ar hyn o bryd yn aelod o dîm ysgrifennu cyfres ddrama Fiction Factory ar gyfer S4C, Gwaith/Cartref, a mae e hefyd yn ysgrifennu addasiad o stori Hans Christian Andersen Dillad Newydd yr Ymerawdwr yn Saeneg ac yn Gymraeg i Theatr y Sherman. Mae Cyfarwyddwraig A Good Clean Heart Mared Swain, hefyd yn Gyfarwyddwraig Artistig Neontopia ac mae hi’n ddiweddar wedi bod yn Gyfarwyddwraig Gyswllt gyda The Other Room a Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. Mae hi hefyd yn un o sylfaenwyr Theatr Dirty Protest ac wedi cyfarwyddo nifer o ddramâu byrion sydd wedi’u perfformio yn y London Roundhouse, The Almedia Theatre, Royal Court a Gŵyl Latitude. Roedd hi’n Gyfarwyddwraig Gysylltiol yn Sherman Cymru am dair blynedd, ac yn ystod ei chyfnod yno datblygodd waith newydd gydag ysgrifenwyr iaith Gymraeg a chyfarwyddo Fe Ddaw’r Byd i Ben, Trwy’r Ddinas Hon, Cynnau Tân, The Snow Tiger/Teigr yr Eira, Corina Pavlova a The Lion’s Roar. Ar gyfer Dirty Protest, mae credydau’n cynnwys After the End. Cyrhaeddodd Mared restr fer Cyfarwyddwr Gorau yng Ngwobrau Theatr Cymru am ei gwaith cyfarwyddo ar gynhyrchiad gwreiddiol A Good Clean Heart yn The Other Room yn 2015. Mae Mared yn gweithio ar hyn o bryd i Fiction Factory fel Cynhyrchydd Stori ar gyfer y gyfres nesaf o Gwaith/ Cartref ar S4C. Manylion Llawn y Ddrama: A GOOD CLEAN HEART Cydgynhyrchiad Neontopia a Chanolfan Mileniwm Cymru, mewn cydweithrediad â The Other Room a Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, gyda chefnogaeth Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru. Ysgrifennwr: Alun Saunders Cyfarwyddwr: Mared Swain Cynllun Set a Gwisgoedd: Carl Davies Cynllun Fideo: Zakk Hein Cynllun Goleuo: Elanor Higgins Cynllun Sain: Dyfan Jones Rheolwr y Cynhyrchiad: Glesni Price-Jones Cast: Hefin: James Ifan Jay: Oliver Wellington Dyddiadau’r daith a Manylion y Swyddfeydd Tocynnau: O 7 Medi – 22 Hydref 2016; Clwyd Theatr Cymru 7 - 9 Medi 01352 701521 / theatrclwyd.com Canolfan Gelfyddydau Pontardawe 14 Medi 01792 863722 / npttheatres.co.uk Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli 16 Medi 01758 704088 Glan-yr-Afon, Casnewydd 19 a 20 Medi 01633 656679 / tickets.newportlive.co.uk Pontio, Bangor 5 a 6 Hyd 01248 382828 / pontio.co.uk Torch Theatre, Aberdaugleddau, 11 Hyd 01646 695267 / torchtheatre.co.uk Arad Goch, Aberystwyth 13 – 15 Hydref 01970 617998 Stiwdio Weston, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru 18-22 Hyd 029 2063 6464 / yganolfan.org.uk Argymhellwyd ar gyfer 14+ |
| Neontopia, Wales Millennium Centre,The Other Room web site: |
| Rhian Lewis e-mail: rhian.e.lewis@hotmail |
Monday, July 25, 2016 |
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