Interval magazine

INTERVAL ALL OF CARDIFF IS A STAGE

NEW YEAR 2018

THE WOOD

at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Inside CHAPTER ARTS CENTRE What is PERFORMANCE?

ACT I // SCENE 1

Meet the Interval Team

WELCOME TO...

INTERVAL

Hello Cardiff. We’re so excited to bring you the very first issue of Interval, a quarterly update on the very latest in theatre and performance taking place in the city each season written by the five-strong team of theatre enthusiasts.

We’re getting to an exciting time for performance in Cardiff, where many of our favourite plays and performances are moving out of the traditional theatre space and taking place in the side rooms of pubs and churches.

Interval aims to explore the new realms and uncover the city’s must-sees and make theatre accessible for everyone.

In the first issue of the year, we’re looking into the history of Canton’s

Maddi

Charlie

Matt

Dan

Haider

Chapter arts centre, an exploration into what makes performance, an interview with Kully Thiarai, the artistic director at the National Theatre Wales, as well as a look back at the best performances in the city.

THE WOOD

Written by Owen Thomas Directed by Peter Doran

Based on a true story, it is July 1916 and as the Battle of the Somme rages, Mametz Wood echoes the sounds of war as the 38th Welsh Division faces the ferocity of the German army.

Written by Owen Thomas, The Wood commemorates the centenary of the end of World War I. Dan and Billy, two young soldiers, forge a friendship in the heat of the build-up to the infamous battle. When Billy is killed in the wood, he leaves behind a devastated friend and his heart-broken and pregnant wife.

Altered by his experiences, Dan returns home to step into his friend’s shoes, marries Billy’s widow and raises the baby son as his own.

Fifty years later, in a clearing in the wood, Dan has returned to The Wood lay a ghost to rest.

The Wood is showing at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in March 2018.

SCENE 2

BEHIND THE THEATRE...

A NEW CHAPTER Inside Cardiff’s independent arts venue

O

ver 40 years ago Chapter Arts was registered with Companies House. This was the culmination of three years of planning, research and fundraising work by founders Christine Kinsey and Bryan Jones after they conceived of the idea for what would become the Chapter Arts Centre.

Chapter was formed in a flurry of post Second World War optimism that had captured the nation. The centre opened with a festival entitled Chapter’s First Birthday that took place across four days and helped to launch the institution.

The event consisted of four theatre events, five film screenings, three nights of poetry and three exhibitions including one celebrating the work of Charles Byrd.

Setting up shop in the old Canton High School building it wasn’t long before artists of all kinds made the centre their home. In the early years it played host to printmakers, sculptors, potters, instrument makers and more with the theatre troupe Everyman Theatre Company joining to establish the centre as one of the city’s foremost arts venues.

Today the Chapter Arts Centre is home to a cinema, theatre space and multiple galleries. The centre is often host to independent plays like the upcoming Cut & Run by Branwen Davies which opens on Wednesday 20 December and will run for three days.

In addition to its theatre, film and visual arts goals the centre is also hugely involved in education. Chapter is home to multiple classrooms where courses in everything from acting to photography run regularly making it a true home for the arts in Cardiff.

COMING SOON Rob Auton: The Hair Show Wed 31 January Louder is Not Always Clearer Tues 06 - Sat 10 February Leftie Scum Tues 13 February The Absolute Truth About Absolutely Everything Thurs 22 February

+

Ŵy, Chips a Nain Tue 20 - Thu 22 March

ACT II // SCENE 1

INTERVAL...

What is performance?

TO STAGE OR NOT TO STAGE

A

dictionary definition of a performance is: an act of presenting a play, concert or other form of entertainment. This broad definition of the term allows for much diversity in what can be considered a performance. They have been showcased for years, from the Greek one man protagonist plays of 500 BC to the viral street saxophone concerts of 2017.

There are similarities between the two; they both have audiences, props and a stage.

But one is considered ‘highbrow’ and the other is considered ‘lowbrow’. The differences between the two types of performance have been debated for years and usually involve pop culture being frowned upon by Shakespearean loyalists. However, in 1835 Shakespeare plays would have been considered pop culture.

The Shanti Duo are a Bollywood violinist duet who perform on and off stage. They both disagree with the conventional usage of high and lowbrow.

“Of course these terms have connotations,” said one half of the duo, Ursula Donnelly. “I don’t believe the distinction is particularly helpful as it resides within a judgement.

There is beauty where there is love. To me a highbrow performance comes from the heart and a low brow performance comes from the ego. This is my judgement.”

Many stage performers started on the streets, busking. The Shanti Duo started performing on the streets to overcome performance anxiety, and now play at weddings all across the UK. Blackweir Brass, a band of 5 students from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, play trumpets in the city centre during the Christmas season. They have experience of performing both in the streets as well as on the traditional stage.

When asked what they thought the biggest difference between street and stage

“Consistency is very important.

I play more or less every day.”

Above: Januz entertains on his unconventional drums

performance is, Ben Pepler answered, “The biggest difference between performing in a concert and performing on the street is that there is usually no applause in the latter.”

This does not seem to be a radical notion between street and stage performers. Eddie Rees and Tom Duggan are students who perform on Cardiff streets during weekends.

Tom agrees that there is no applause on the streets. “Busking is more about making money,” he says. “Playing in concerts is more for the love of music. Also, for stage performances there are a lot of rehearsals, but for basking, there is no set plan.”

The notion that street performers are less disciplined than stage is annihilated by homeless drummer, Janusz. He uses cooking pots and pans as drums, and has been busking for 7 years.

Janusz told us, “Being homeless, people think I am obviously a hopeless junkie. But like all other performers, I have discipline.

Consistency is very important. I play more or less every day. You will get rusty and numb if you don’t play for about 2 weeks. I practice a lot, particularly when trying out new beats.”

So, to answer our own question, what is performance? Performance cannot be bound by terms such as highbrow and lowbrow, it is a channeling of love from performer to audience.

As long as you have a talent to share, it does not matter whether you are on stage or street, you are putting on a performance.

Above: Student buskers take to the Cardiff streets

ACT III // SCENE 1

BACKSTAGE WITH...

KULLY THIARAI

The artistic director at National Theatre Wales discusses their upcoming season, and how big ideas spring from small beginnings...

I

n a brightly lit room in Castle Arcade, Kully Thiarai is sipping a cup of tea and cheerfully discussing the Roald Dahl centenary celebrations with the air of someone for whom organising seven thousand active participants is a standard Thursday afternoon.

“We kicked off with a giant peach in the centre of town, and used all sorts of nooks and crannies in Cardiff city as the stage,” she warmly reminisces.

“It was an extraordinary thing to Kully Thiarai has been artistic director at NTW since May 2016. achieve, and a scale and ambition Credit: National Theatre Wales of work that is among the biggest change and there feels like there’s storms things we’ve ever done.” brewing metaphorically and literally,” she says But then, Kully’s job is far from normal. ominously. This change is reflected in their As the artistic director at National Theatre upcoming season: Storm addresses the highly Wales, she oversees some of the country’s most prominent issues of truth and ambitious theatrical projects. whilst NHS 70 is a love She passionately explains: “The important testimony, letter to the free health principle “Your national theatre could that grew from humble beginnings thing is what be on a beach, up a mountain, Welsh community. in a disused warehouse in connection you’re in aIt’ssmall an issue Kully feels is Part Talbot or on the streets universal: “Whether you’re a trying to make of Cardiff, and that’s what theatre-maker making a small makes us so unique.” with the public.” show in a found space somewhere Since becoming artistic in Cardiff or whether you’re the director in May 2016, Kully, national company, I think we have to all be 54, has been involved in all sorts of projects alert to how it is we can make a difference and across the country. She’s sharply perceptive, the narratives that need to be talked about.” and there’s real weight behind everything she Yet despite being involved in running some says. It’s not hard to see how she got the role. of the country’s biggest theatrical events, the “I felt that I could bring something to it [to director’s first rule is that scale isn’t everything.

NTW], to add to the depth, range and diversity “You can do an extraordinary solo show and of the work it might make,” she adds. it can rock the world, rock the foundations of But when it comes to creating work for the something,” she implores. “Much as you can future, context is everything. The world, she do a million pound extravaganza, the imporsays, has changed on its axis in recent years, tant thing is what connection you’re trying to and now the organisation is questioning its role make with the public and how that will make and the issues it needs to be addressing. a difference.”

“We’re in a period of huge transition and

WINTER REVIEWS HORNS

Horns is a curious play with an ambitious premise.

Taking the lyrics from fifty of his most loved songs and fasioning them into dialogue, Francois Pandolfo has crafted an hour long tale of dreams and lost love that has absolutely no right to work half as well as it does.

Horns is a product of The Other Room’s ‘Blue Sky Scripts’ scheme for testing ideas and feels wonderfully off the wall. The setting is

deceptively simple: two male lovers sit in a bathroom conversing only in lyrics. Add in a surrealist dream centred around the titular rhino and you’re left wondering where exactly this is all going. The results are deeply personal, and constantly surprising.

Perhaps it feels a tad uneven at times, and suffers from a lull in the second act.

But given that this is still very much a work in progress, it’s fine stuff.

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

of the original and delights children with the bright green and blue hues and quirky characters. The live music played with the musicians on stage was splendid to see, with the waddling duck dance standing out.

The play follows the lives of a group of riverside critters, including Mole, Rat, Badger and of course, the haphazard Toad. Keiron Shelf shone in his embodiment of

Toads’ winning personality. I enjoyed the adaptation and would recommend it to kids and adults alike this winter.

Directed by Francois Pandolfo At The Other Room

Directed by Lee Lyford At The Sherman

Lee Lyford’s imaginative retelling of the classic Wind in The Willows embraces its traditional storytelling roots and will entertain families throughout December.

The show captures adult’s attention with the quiet and reflective elements

THE CHIMES

Directed by Judith Roberts At St John’s Church

While A Christmas Carol may be the most recognisable of Charles Dickens’ festive tales, his 1844 novel The Chimes confronts societal issues that still resonate today including ongoing themes of homelessness and self-respect.

The setting for the performance, St John’s church,

Canton seemed fitting with the play serving the perfect opportunity for reflection.

In true festive spirit, the production has been working

with homelessness charities including the Wallich, the Huggard, the Passage and St Mungo’s and has invited some of the men and women rebuilding their lives to participate in the performance.

Brining together a professional cast with an ensemble of those who have found themselves homeless adds another dimension of reality to a play that at times can be heart-breaking.

ACT III // SCENE 2

THE EPILOGUE...

WHAT’S ON In the New Year JANUARY

Miss Saigon

The Band

Heaven on Earth

New Jersey Nights

Gallowglass

Rob Auton: The Hair Show

@Millennium Centre Mon 1 January

@New Theatre Tues 23 January

@Millennium Centre Tues 9 January

@New Theatre Tues 30 January

@Motorpoint Arena Mon 15 January

@Chapter Arts Centre Wed 31 January

FEBRUARY Dublin Carol

@Sherman Theatre Tues 1 February

Louder is Not Always Clearer @Chapter Arts Centre Tues 6 February

The Sound of Music Grav @New Theatre Tues 13 February

@Sherman Theatre Thurs 22 February

Leftie Scum

@Chapter Arts Centre Tues 13 February

Thriller Live

@New Theatre Mon 26 February

MARCH [Blank]

@Sherman Theatre Thurs 1 March

Wy, Chips a Nain @Chapter Arts Centre Tues 20 March

The Case of the Frightened Lady

Tango Moderno

The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Strangers on a Train

@New Theatre Mon 5 March

@Sherman Theatre Wed 21 March

@New Theatre Tues 13 March

@New Theatre Tues 27 March