| Across-the-Board Critique of National Company |
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru |
| Artistic Programme, Management, Board, Presentation Critiqued , National Culture of Wales , October 24, 2024 |
“Theatr na nÓg celebrated 40 years this month. Music Theatre Wales is, at 36, a little younger. The Review into the future of theatre, at least in the English language, may observe, or may not, that the arts of Wales are strewn with fireworks of companies that flared for a while and fizzled. “But a few endure: Theatr na nÓg, Music Theatre Wales, Arad Goch, Volcano. As to the why it is likely that few, if any, in arts managements and decision-making read W Edwards Deming (1900-1993). He left a series of axioms for management; the first, of fourteen, was “create constancy of purpose.” As a prescription it is as valid for individuals as it is for organisation.” So read the opening to the review of “Bwystfilod Aflan” which Music Theatre Wales took to venues across Wales. * * * * Theatr Genedlaethol at twenty-one is a youth alongside these companies of maturity. They have prospered for a reason. That is fidelity; fidelity to their artistic purpose. The business of national theatre is simple. In London Rufus Norris completes ten years on a high of universal acclaim. National theatre, national themes, for national audiences, in theatres; it is a purpose that is simple. For the autumn of 2024 Steffan Donnelly at Theatr Genedlaethol has sought out a sixteen year old script from England. The costs of translation are considerable. National theatre employs one actor to perform four times. That is national theatre in the minds of the company, a view little shared, and not by Paul Griffiths. He has written an analysis in detail. He anatomises the dismantling in the Donnelly era of the legacy that was bequeathed by Arwel Gruffydd. * * * * Paul Griffiths won the Urdd Eisteddfod Drama Medal three years in a row between 1995 and 1997. He is the only artist to have done so. As a critic for six years, 2006-2012, he wrote a weekly column on theatre for Y Cymro. He features regularly on S4C and BBC Radio Cymru Wales as critic and reviewer of theatre. He has been on the Artistic Advisory Panel of Cwmni Theatr Gwynedd and on the board of Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre. He has seen over 1200 productions of theatre. He has thirty years of experience as writer, director and critic. His is a voice of authority. The article in full covers 1687 words. His assessment of the current condition of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru addresses a range of issues. His article is titled "Theatr Genedlaethol" i Ieuenctid a Phlant Cymru!”. His conclusion is that the company record shows it has largely abandoned theatres and broadly given up on adult audiences. Its new self-selected niche is held by Arad Goch, admirably so. National theatre holds centre place, a position it has yielded, in Griffiths' assessment, to Cwmni Franwen. The article was prompted by a trip to Bangor. “A dwi'n falch imi fynd, petai ond i sawru gogoniant theatrig Rhan Un: Arianrhod a lwyfannwyd yng ngofod gwag Pontio.” * * * * One issue that he addresses is the company's representation of its critical record. “Ond yr hyn dwi am ei drafod, neu rannu efo chi, ydi'r pryderon a'r trafodaethau glywais i tra bod yno. Yn gyntaf, lle mae'r adolygwyr theatr Cymraeg? A lle mae'r gofod inni ddarllen adolygiadau o'r cynyrchiadau a chreu Archif gwerthfawr o waddol theatrig Cymru?” Quotations and reviews are drawn from the Stage and the Guardian to the exclusion of local reviewers of Wales. This preference has been taken straight from the National Theatre of Wales. Reviewers of England were held in higher regard over the publications of Wales. Griffiths remembers an era of the past: “Dwi'n cofio cyfnod yn y 1990au a'r 2000au pan roedd cylchgronau Cymraeg yn llawn o adolygiadau o gynyrchiadau theatr. Maen nhw'n brinnach na chynhyrchiad prif lwyfan i OEDOLION gan Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, ar hyn o bryd!” The website of the National Theatre of Wales has erased all mention of John McGrath and Lucy Davies. Griffiths notes the same of Theatr Genedlaethol. Cefin Roberts, Judith Roberts, Daniel Evans are lost to the archive. * * * * The company is up for an award. It makes him laugh. “Enwebiad gan "UK Theatre" am "Ragoriaeth Mewn Teithio". Teithio beth?, oedd y benbleth ym Mangor!. Wel, maen nhw'n dyfynnu o'u cais am enwebiad er mwyn rhoi gwybod inni! - "Yn ystod y cyfnod dan sylw.” * * * * Griffiths writes of the board of directors: “Does ryfedd bod y gynulleidfa Gymraeg yn flin! Ai mud, byddar a dall ydi Bwrdd y Theatr Genedlaethol a Chyngor y Celfyddydau, 'ta dim ond darllen hanes y cwmni ar bapur, maen nhw?. A gwell imi enwi'r "Ymddiriedolwyr" dethol, rhag ofn ichi anghofio pwy yw'r bobol amlwg a blaenllaw yma, yn y Theatr Gymraeg ar hyn o bryd: Yr Athro Jerry Hunter, Yr Athro Nia Edwards-Behi, Siôn Fôn, Elin Parisa Fouladi, Gwyn Jones, Fiona Phillips, Catherine Rees, Rhys Miles Thomas, Gwyn Williams a Meilir Rhys Williams. Na, finna' chwaith!. Fel un sy'n ymddiddori ym Myd y Theatr, dim ond dau sy'n gyfarwydd imi, mewn cyd-destun theatraidd!.” * * * * But the heart of the article is the theatrical record. Griffiths lists the productions over one year, August to August 2023-2024, every performance, every place. “Swyn [cynhyrchiad Cwmni Krystal S Lowe "i blant hyd at 7 oed" gan un actor] "yn seiliedig ar y llyfr ‘Whimsy’ gan Krystal S. Lowe". 5 perfformiad yn Ffwrnes Llanelli, 3 yn Theatr Felinfach, 3 yng Nghanolfan Celf Memo, Y Bari, 4 yng Nghanolfan S4C Yr Egin yng Nghaerfyrddin, 4 yn Chapter Caerdydd, 3 yn Theatr Glan yr Afon, Casnewydd, 1 yn Theatr Derek Williams, Y Bala, 2 yn Pontio, Bangor ac 2 yng Nghanolfan y Celfyddydau, Aberystwyth. Rhinoseros [cyfieithiad - cynhyrchiad prif lwyfan gydag 8 actor - da chi'n cofio sut beth ydi hynny?!] 5 perfformiad yn y Sherman, 2 yn Pontio, 1 yn Aberystwyth, 1 ym Mhwllheli, 1 yn Hafren, 1 yn Mwldan, 1 yn Galeri ac 1 yn Taliesin, Abertawe. Yr Hogyn Pren [ail-lwyfaniad o Eisteddfod 2023 o sioe fenthyg gan Small World Theatre i bobol ifanc] 3 dangosiad yn Aberystwyth fel rhan o Ŵyl Theatr Ryngwladol Arad Goch - Agor Drysau i blant a phobol ifanc, a 2 berfformiad mewn ysgolion yn Aberystwyth. Ie, Ie, Ie [sioe fenthyg i bobol ifanc] "addasiad Cymraeg o 'Yes Yes Yes' " cynhyrchiad Eleanor Bishop a Karin McCracken o Aotearoa, Seland Newydd [sydd "ar werth" drwy asiantaeth prynu theatr Aurora Nova]. 5 dangosiad yn y Sherman, 1 yn Pontio, 1 yn Galeri, 1 yn Theatr Clwyd, 1 yn Y Bala, 1 yn Abertawe, 1 yng Nghaerfyrddin ac 1 y Llanelli. 12 i gyd, yn ogystal â 7 mewn Ysgolion Uwchradd neu Golegau. Kiki Cymraeg ("perfformiad Sgratsh") [sioe fenthyg arall i bobol ifanc gan Gymuned Dawnsfa Cymru] 1 perfformiad yng Nghaerdydd. Parti Priodas [ail-lwyfaniad o ddrama Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Pwllheli 2023 gyda 2 actor] 6 perfformiad yng Nghaerdydd, 1 y Llanelli, 1 yng Nghaerfyrddin, 1 ym Merthyr Tudful, 1 yn Felinfach, 1 yng Ngŵyl Gomedi Machynlleth, 1 yn Rhosllanerchrugog, 1 yn Llanrwst, 1 yn Bangor, 1 yn Llangefni, 2 yng Nghaernarfon, 1 yn Y Bala, a 2 ym Mhwllheli. Ie, Ie, Ie [eto, eto, eto] yn Eisteddfod yr Urdd 2024 - 1 perfformiad. Ha/Ha [ar y cyd â Theatr Clwyd] yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2024 - 3 perfformiad. Brên. Calon. Fi [monolog arall] yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2024 - 4 perfformiad.” And his conclusion: “Dyna ichi'r "92 perfformiad" mewn "tua 50 lleoliad" gafodd ei gyfleu ar bapur, am "yr enwebiad!". Ond, o'u dadansoddi'n gall, dim ond 4 cynhyrchiad i oedolion, a 2 o rheiny yn gawl-eildwyn o'r Eisteddfod a ddaeth i ben, deuddydd cyn y dyddiad cyntaf!. Roedd 53 o'r "92 perfformiad" ar gyfer plant neu bobol ifanc. Roedd 29 o'r "tua 50" lleoliad mewn ysgolion, neu Ŵyliau i blant neu ieuenctid. Dim ond 39 "perfformiad" ar gyfer y gynulleidfa hŷn, a 7 o'r rheiny mewn pabell ar gae'r Eisteddfod, 20 "perfformiad' o sioe oedd eisoes wedi'i lwyfannu yn Eisteddfod 2023, felly dim on 20 "perfformiad" o waith newydd neu gyfieithiad. O'r 9 cynhyrchiad, roedd 5 ohonynt yn gyd-gynyrchiadau [neu'n fenthyciadau yn fy marn i], o waith cwmnïau eraill.” * * ** As for the future Griffiths notes dance in place of theatre. He omits the company's role in the decaying of the National Youth Theatre of Wales. On his visit to Gwynedd he reports of much complaint. The gap in the Donnelly regime is glaring. “A dyna'r ail-gŵyn glywes i. Lle mae cynyrchiadau "mawr" ein Theatr Genedlaethol honedig i gynulleidfaoedd hŷn? Sut bod cwmni fel Frân Wen yn gallu llwyfannu cynyrchiadau theatrig uchelgeisiol, ar lwyfan Canolfan y Mileniwm neu Pontio Bangor, tra bod ein 'Theatr Genedlaethol' yn mynd o fonolog i ddialog, mewn pabell neu gaffi ar gaeau Eisteddfodol Cymru?” * * * * A national theatre is not a fringe company. The strangest thing is that the public of Wales has been here before. Stephan Donnelly, it should be remembered, served as a director of the National Theatre of Wales. The period, March 2021 to June 2022, was a key period for that company, when it was in overdrive not to put on national theatre. The company has its view of national theatre, its place and its purpose. It is not that of Paul Griffiths. Should the company wish to share that view with readers in Wales it should be sent for publication to editorial@theatre-wales.co.uk. Extracts, with thanks and acknowledgement, from the full article which should be read at: https://paulpesda.blogspot.com/2024/10/theatr-genedlaethol-i-ieuenctid The Arwel Gruffydd years are recalled below 21 September 2021. Jon Gower: "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. "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.” A guide to productions over 20 years can be read on the first link below |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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