| The Arwel Gruffudd Years |
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru |
| Guide to Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru , Theatre of Wales , September 30, 2021 |
Continuity matters; organisations need stability. The optimum time-span for a period of leadership is between eight and twelve years. There is thus a wisdom to Arwel Gruffydd setting the end of his tenure as Artistic Director for May 2022. The last decade has seen Welsh-language theatre extend itself both thematically and formally. For many of the high-spots he was also director. It is worth remembering that Theatr Genedlaethol was sagging seriously. Jon Gower was closely attentive to the first years of its revitalising. Writing around seven years back: "A series of stand-alone but always political plays, which also naturally connected and concatenated to such a degree that they seemed to form an organic whole. This added up to nothing less than a year-long theatrical narrative and this a very rich and deep engagement with the audience... "Collectively the plays deepened this reviewer's allegiance to the language, but also seemed to move theatre in Welsh away from its own rather conventional and sometimes cloyingly conservative recent history. "Arwel Gruffydd hasn't just oxygenated things, he's added a dash of revivifying ozone too, mixing in the tang of theatrical adventure together with have-a-go attitude that was for too long missing. In short, he's brought that vision thing and persuasively so. "Having been overshadowed somewhat these past few years by its sibling – by the extraordinary and deserved success of National Theatre Wales, under that urbane and extraordinarily hardworking wunderkind John McGrath – this was Theatr Genedlaethol's moment in the sun, and, my, how brilliantly, dazzlingly and illuminatingly it shone.” Media is disaggregated in Wales and the work took place beyond the capital. With coverage inconsistent, the company is best represented in the writing of critic Lowri Haf Cooke. “Nansi” at the Eisteddfod: https://lowrihafcooke.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/adolygiad-theatr-nansi-theatr-genedlaethol-cymru/ “Y Tad”, the translation of Florian Zeller's outstanding play on dementia: https://lowrihafcooke.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/adolygiad-theatr-y-tad-theatr-genedlaethol-cymru/ “Macbeth” at Caerphilly Castle: https://lowrihafcooke.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/adolygiad-theatr-macbeth-theatr-genedlaethol-cymru/ The reviews for this site are as in the links below. Picture: Llion Williams- Chwalfa 18 March 2020 Tylwyth 20 October 2019 Y Cylch Sialc 20 March 2019 Merched Caerdydd/ Nos Sadwrn o Hyd 20 November 2018 Nyrsys 22 April 2018 Estron 09 October 2016 Merch yr Eog Marc'h an Eog 19 February 2016 Chwalfa 01 July 2015 {150} Patagonia 25 May 2014 Y Negesydd 25 July 2013 Blodeuwedd 26 April 2013 Tir Sir Gar 14 February 2013 Y Bont 10 February 2013 Y Bont 20 September 2012 Y Storm 06 March 2012 Sgint 28 September 2011 Llwyth 30 August 2011 Llwyth 26 March 2011 Deffro'r Gwanwyn 05 October 2010 Gwlad yr Addewid 24 September 2010 Gwlad yr Addewid 13 October 2008 Iesu 18 May 2008 Siwan 07 October 2007 Porth yr Byddar 09 April 2007 Cysgod yr Cryman 19 February 2007 Cysgod yr Cryman 23 October 2006 Diweddgan 15 May 2006 Esther 28 April 2006 Esther 25 April 2006 Esther 03 May 2005 Ty ar y Tywod 28 February 2005 Plas Drycin 24 February 2005 Plas Drycin 22 October 2004 Romeo a Juliet 30 April 2004 Yn Debyg iawn i Ti a Fi 25 April 2004 Yn Debyg iawn I Ti a Fi 25 April 2004 Yn Debyg iawn Ti a Fi |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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