Arad Goch |
| Arad Goch-Crash , Arad Goch, Aberystwyth , January 22, 2005 |
Whenever I see ‘appropriate for 14+’ on a poster advertising a play I inwardly cringe, assuming the worse from acute experience. It is something which inspires dread in me after many months research into educational productions. It is however somewhat misguiding on the poster of Crash as it is a highly polished production. Arad Goch seem to have settled very cosily into the niche of the educational production that carries weight amongst audiences of all ages, amalgamating many genres and techniques which evades most other touring companies. Crash is no different, in fact, it competes, and rightfully so, with Stones as the finest in their and Wales’s repertoire.The actors all completed fine performances, their diction and clarity, through some harsh emotions was excellent and they portrayed their characters with vivacity and obvious relish, enjoying themselves with avid encouragement from the audience, and very refreshing to see such a young audience in attendance too, to complement the wonderfully young cast. Dafydd Rhys Evans gave a genuine performance as Wes, the apparent good-for-nothing layabout. He attacked the role with energy and seemed to make lounging an Olympic sport. Rhys ap Trefor gave yet another strong and lively performance, a great young actor and good to see him swapping stage and screen, very good presence on stage with an excellent range, from timid to raging lion, though maybe a little overplay on the comic side. But surely it’s time for this man to grasp some meatier roles on the Welsh stage. Rhiannon Morgan’s performance as Elin, the central character, was very moving. I thought, wrongly, that I had passed my teenage years many moons ago, yet her portrayal of such an innocent soul brought it all back, the anguish of an open mind yet to realise its role in the world, let alone the family home. Their inter-mingling worked well within the structure of the whole production, with dance and movement all woven into the very same cloth of tongue and sound. The raised platform improved on the vitality of the movement, seemingly propelling them to an austere oneness with that which they strived for, “between the clouds and the waves”, trying to find a space for them to park their own souls. I felt that Rhiannon Morgan’s role was finely tuned to the others, and a balancing act ensued, but neither end extended beyond the carefully placed fulcrum and equilibrium was attained throughout, no mean task as the play could easily have run away with itself. Also something needs to be done about the backdrop, I’m not sure what tie-dyed cloth has to do with anything. Sêra Moore Williams impressed me further with her obvious talent for understatement and careful planning, though as I said earlier, maybe Rhys’s character was a little too comic and threatened certain scenes with its strength. Also Elin’s character only offered one option for the actor, tone-wise, and that was upwards, she needed some space at times to back up, metaphorically, in order to release the energy that is intrinsically built-up within her. At times also there were leaps needed for the collective audience to fill the gaps in the sub-plot and possibly some more emphasis on the actuality of their crimes, e.g. the stealing of the cars and the crashes themselves. Though none of these things directly affected the play, they may, in my opinion, give extra depth to that being already said. The actors showed great dexterity and presence to accomplish what, really, is quite a mundane subject matter and to transform it into a compelling piece of theatre is a rare feat. Not once did I twiddle my fingers and check out the rest of the audience, high praise indeed. Ever since Stones crossed Jeremy Turner’s (artistic director, Arad Goch) path via Travelling Light theatre company, Arad Goch have been leading exponents in the multi-genre ‘educational’ productions (I use the word educational with a heavy heart as it implies such atrocious notions - see moralistic) using live music, strong energetic performances which compliment a minimalistic stage, perfect for a relatively small touring company. Long may this expertise last as it promotes a healthier theatre ethos in Wales. The sooner that other production companies understand this simple equation the better, pomp may look good but art and ability always endears, and is also timeless. It promotes skilful actors and writers, employing both mind and body to a more resonant theatre scene. This is where the money is needed (and if anybody is reading from the Arts Council, or whoever hands out the dough these days, please give Arad Goch a grant to renovate their dastardly studio, never have I seen a company go on tour with such relish) not in empowering new companies to tread their way carefully through the hellish political minefield of Welsh theatre. We already have talented companies which are able to put on any production that they are called upon to produce and have been doing so for many decades, this is where the real national theatre is and never will be encapsulated in name. I can’t help but think what wonders companies like this would have produced having been shown half as much trust as ‘the authorities’ deemed to go elsewhere. “That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” Any body got any garden clippers? |
Reviewed by: Dafydd Prys |
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