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The best in Wales – this summer with National Youth Arts Wales
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This summer sees the National Youth Arts companies touring Wales (and Italy) with over 200 young people from all parts of Wales taking part in the annual National Youth Arts Wales summer residencies.
This year there are performances in Cardiff, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Mold and Italy.
A Musical, Passion (in Italy), fond farewells, and a bunch of ‘firsts’.
This year’s NYAW season features a new musical about Italians living in south Wales in the Second World War; passion with performances of William Walton’s Symphony No 1; the final year with NYAW for artistic Directors Greg Cullen (Theatre) and Henri Oguike (Dance); and a bunch of ‘firsts’ for writer Tim Price.
National Youth Dance Wales
Following a two weeks residency based in Cardiff, National Youth Dance Wales kick off the summer programme with a new work that is sharp, quirky, full of pace and energy and shot through with a musicality that has become the trademark of Welsh choreographer Henri Oguike. This is Henri’s last year as Artistic Director for NYDW and there is only one performance, at the Sherman Theatre on Tuesday 31st July. With nine young Welsh dancers this year, the collaborations between Henri and NYDW have thrilled audiences since 2004 when Henri became NYDW Artistic Director.
National Youth Orchestra of Wales
Owain Arwel Hughes leads the National Youth Orchestra of Wales showcasing the considerable talent of its young musicians on a concert tour of Wales before travelling to the Italian island of Ischia to perform the final concert of a summer series run by Lady William Walton. This summer the programme includes Walton’s passionate Symphony No. 1, and in celebration of his 150th anniversary, Elgar’s lively concert overture, In the south. This year the Orchestra numbers include 8 sets of brothers and sisters and the youngest player is just 14 years old.
Jonathon Mann (Leader) bids farewell to the orchestra this year as he has his 22nd Birthday on the last day of the tour. He hopes to become a professional musician within the next year.
National Youth Theatre of Wales
The summer season ends with a new production, commissioned by NYTW, from emerging new writer Tim Price. Café Cariad is a new musical with book by Tim Price and Greg Cullen, and music and lyrics by Jak Poore and Greg Cullen, set during the Second World War and looks at the relationships between a brother and sister both in Northern Italy and their life in South Wales after escaping Mussolini’s regime.
Tim Price, originally from Aberdare, has an impressive string of writing credits and last year was tipped as one of the 50 best emerging writers by the Royal Court Theatre, London. His writing credits include work for Radio 4, ITV network and the BBC. This is Tim’s first major theatre project and his first ever musical. Tim said “it is rare for a writer to be given the opportunity to write for a cast of 40 actors. Writing for such a large cast requires a different writing discipline and I am pleased to be working with such a fine theatre craftsperson as Greg Cullen, NYTW Artistic Director.”
Café Cariad opens in Aberystwyth and then tours to Mold, ending its tour in Cardiff. This year is the last year of Greg Cullen’s tenure of National Youth Theatre of Wales.
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Saturday, July 21, 2007 |
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