A brand new comedy, based upon the 2005 Welsh Grand Slam, makes its debut at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre on September 11 and 12 at 8pm before going on to Swansea’s Grand Theatre Arts Wing on September 17-19 at 7.45pm, to coincide with the Rugby World Cup.
Written by former journalist turned writer Geraint Thomas the play evokes the euphoria that surrounded the achievement of Mike Ruddock’s all-conquering team while examining how the Welsh passion for rugby can sometimes get in the way of relationships and weddings! Geraint’s previous play, After Milk Wood, earned excellent reviews when it debuted as part of Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Festival in 2005.
Roofless opens with the closing stages of Wales’s emphatic victory in Murrayfield, complete with stunning pictures from professional sports photographer Steve Phillips and the familiar voice of BBC Wales rugby commentator Gareth Charles.
Work-shy valley boy Lewis Jones, played by Leighton Kyle who has appeared in High Hopes on BBC Wales, has waited all his life to see Wales win a Grand Slam and now he is just one game away from seeing his dream come true. He and his cognitively challenged sidekick, Harvey, played by James Ashton, fresh from the Edinburgh Festival, enter a bidding war on e-Bay to acquire tickets for the deciding game against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium.
Lewis, obsessed with rugby, His gold fish is called Henson… ‘Because it’s orange!’, sees his attempts to raise money become more and more desperate, resulting in farcical situations.
With the tickets finally purchased Lewis has overlooked one vital fact – he is due to marry his long-suffering fiancé, Cerys, played by Alison John, who has worked with Hijinx and Theatr Y Byd, on the same afternoon as the big game. Where will his loyalties lie? The registry office of the Millennium Stadium?
Further strain is placed upon the relationship by the interventions of Cerys’s disapproving mother Beryl, played by Julie Barclay, who has appeared in both Torchwood and Belonging for the BBC.
The play is being directed by Bethan Thomas, the sister of the writer. The Swansea-based siblings have set up SISBRO Productions, made up of South Wales-based professional actors, in order to stage the show. Bethan is also an actress, with West End roles in Blood Brothers under her belt, as well as being the writer and co-director of another company, Fat Belly Productions, along with Eloise Howe, which staged it’s debut production, The Ugly Sisters, to packed houses last Christmas.
Geraint Thomas, a former rugby player with Bridgend, said, “While rugby is at the heart of the play you don’t have to be a follower of the game to enjoy Roofless. I’m sure there are couples across the country who will identify with the minefield of obsessive behaviour, be it train spotting or spending every weekend sat in the stands screaming at the referee.
“I reported on the Grand Slam for the South Wales Evening Post and was amazed by how the series of games lifted the whole country. The scenes in Cardiff after the final whistle were quite unbelievable, in social history it was a collective show of emotion that you would usually associate with VE Day, after years and years of hardship a nation finally had reason to celebrate. I think we can all recall getting wrapped up in that atmosphere, I remember, after the game, having to climb through a window to get in the Westgate pub because it was so packed with revellers. I knew then that I had to write this play.
“It has taken two years to get this staged. The last two Six Nations have been strange for me as I was worried another Grand Slam would affect the impact of the play – fortunately, and sadly, Wales have gone back to their frustrating mix of occasional highs and lingering lows, it’s what makes a Grand Slam worth reliving.
“The whole sister brother partnership has been fine. I was initially worried as we have argued a lot in the past, everyone says we are too much alike – which means either I’m very much in touch with my feminine side or else my sister looks like a big butch rugby player!”
Bethan Thomas said, “It has been such a joy working on the play, I originally was going to act in it but decided to direct instead as I felt so passionately about the piece and have a similar sense of humour to my brother, so who better to bring it to life? The cast are fabulous and great fun both on and off the stage. If you want a fun night out surrounded by talent, both in the form of performers and the evocation of some of our best rugby stars, you should book your tickets now! Oh and don’t forget to wear your daffodil!”
Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre on September 11 and 12 at 8pm
Box Office 02920 311050.
Swansea’s Grand Theatre Arts Wing on September 17-19 at 7.45pm
Box Office 01792 475715.
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