A bold, contemporary play performed in a mix of Welsh, Wenglish and English provides a rare opportunity for Welsh speakers and learners to put their skills to the test and enjoy a great drama at the same when Sherman Cymru perform their new play, Llwyth (or Tribe, as it is translated), at the Torch Theatre next week [Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 April].Originally inspired by the Gododdin, the author and director Dafydd James wanted to explore what it means to belong to a ‘tribe’ in modern day Wales; what tribes exist today, what defines them (language, friendship, family, education, generation, sexuality, etc); and the nature of the conflict that occurs when these tribes come face to face. Rugby International day in Cardiff plays a crucial backdrop to the play, and one of the characters – Gareth seems to belong to several ‘tribes’ – he is gay, plays rugby and is a Welsh-learner. “Though rugby and International day is a back-drop, what’s at the heart of the tribes are notions of family, Welsh-language culture and gay male identity. Though this is a story about five gay men, really at its core is an attempt to explore the very idea of Welsh culture” explained Dafydd. The language is a mix of the poetic and the urban. There’s also a choral element to the piece. One of the characters – Rhys – sings in a local choir and Sherman Cymru are working with a different choir for every venue. “I like to think of it as a mix of Queer as Folk and Moulin Rouge with a little Braveheart, which sounds quite ridiculous, but I’m always inspired by theatre which combines the mundane with the epic.” The play is a mix of Welsh, Wenglish and English. Another character, Aneurin, is a novelist and poet and often talks in verse which contrasts with the pacey and often campy banter of his dialogue with the other characters. Gavin, speaks a type of Welsh that is quite specific to Welsh medium schools in South Wales: a form of Wenglish that many frown upon and Gareth is a Welsh learner but predominantly speaks English on stage. The language reflects the Director’s experience of living in Wales as a Welsh-speaker. It won’t reflect everyone’s experience of Welsh-language culture in the way that it won’t reflect a universal gay culture, but there are elements which will be recognisable to all. “Although Welsh is my mother tongue, to begin with writing in Welsh was a struggle…” explained Dafydd, “…since leaving school I had predominantly worked creatively in English. My resistance to writing in Welsh was because I didn’t feel I could necessarily express myself within the language ….However, it’s all there if you want to find it!” Llwyth, performed by Sherman Cymru, with a live performance from Corlan can be seen at Milford Haven’s Torch Theatre on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 April. There will be a performance with English language surtitles on the Wednesday. Tickets may be reserved online at www.torchtheatre.co.uk or by calling the Theatre Box Office on 01646 695267. For an excellent taster, take a look at a trailer of the show on the Torch’s website. |
| Torch Theatre web site: www.torchtheatre.co.uk |
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Friday, April 16, 2010 |
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