Full Circle |
| Hijinx Theatre Company , Depot Studio, Arts Wing, Swansea Grand Theatre , April 26, 2008 |
Wednesday, April 23South Wales Evening Post Just a few years ago, the Welsh theatre scene was suffering from a glut of angst-ridden plays which sought - largely in vain - to define what it meant to be Welsh. In attempting to do so, of course, the playwrights all made the mistake of missing the bigger picture: in an ever-shrinking world, it should not matter what it means to be Welsh. What matters above all is what it means to be human - the hopes, dreams and friendships that shape who we are and which make each of us unique. This warm, poignant and wholly uplifting production from Hijinx Theatre - written by Glenys Evans and Gaynor Lougher - is inspired by the real-life story of Andrew Williams, a remarkable young man with Down's Syndrome who fulfilled his dream of climbing Mount Everest. The fact that I found myself smiling throughout the piece hopefully demonstrates that thought-provoking drama need not be downbeat or dour in order to get its messages across. Gareth Clark clearly relished his role as Andy, a challenging part which required him to act in unison with the hugely charismatic Nick Wayland-Evans as his alter ego - interestingly, as the character grew in confidence his "other self" fell away and watched, as entranced as the rest of us, as the story unfolded. Clêr Stephens - known to some of us for her work with Welsh theatre company Mappa Mundi - was splendid as Andy's Mum, never once slipping into stereotypical "Welsh Mam" mode and delivering some lines which tugged at the heartstrings("From Mummy's Boy to an old man," she says at one stage, "and nothing in between"). Eloise Howe shone as the socially aware and inspirational Mrs E., while Rhys ap Trefor tackled the task of playing two very different characters - elderly neighbour Wilf and Andy's guide and mentor Dave - with great aplomb. Works such as this restore one's faith in theatre, reinforcing my oft-stated belief that live performance can change lives for the better. |
Reviewed by: Graham Williams |
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