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Dolgellau Amateur Dramatic Society
cwmni THEATR FACH company |
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by Charles Way |
Theatr Fach hosted Hi Jinx Theatre Company from Cardiff on 20th October for a performance of ‘The Long Way Home’ by Charles Way. Directed by Louise Osborn, ‘The Long Way Home’ is a traditional folk tale from the heart of old Europe, brought magically to life through towering physical storytelling and music. A beautifully poignant story of friendship, danger and humour as two travellers face many hazards on their long journey. An old woman, recently widowed, decides to walk home to the seaside village of her birth, a journey which will take her through dark woods, fertile plains and over snow-capped mountains. She encounters a young boy in the forest whose only means of communication is to bark like a dog, and the two become unlikely travelling companions. This old woman, beautifully played by Alex Alderton, dressed all in black is taking the long way home. This is an exceptionally moving performance. Award winning playwright Charles Way’s story is a fascinating one and Louise Osborn’s clever direction allows the story to develop fully in this enthralling production. The old mother is the heart of this story, her crumpled figure moving around the stage through the mountains until she reaches the sea, commenting on and helping all who cross her path. The story begins with a howl to the moon. The four cast members filled the little theatre with an edgy harmony in a strong chorus that brought us to the edge of our seats. Then we see Dogboy wailing to the skies and in an extraordinarily athletic performance actor John Norton brought this character to life. He becomes the first chapter in Old Mother’s story, a young boy who is convinced he is a dog, a frightened and dangerous dog. He snaps and growls at the old lady but here her wisdom and humanity are revealed, she looks beyond the dog and sees the real boy, she wins his confidence and they journey on together. Zoë Davies and Darren Stokes act as narrators linking each of the scenes and play the entire series of protagonists that Mother and boy have to face on their way. From the role of the Old Mother’s late husband to mountain bandit, apple grower and wooden post maker Darren is animated and convincing. Zoë Davies has a hard edge as a bandit and brings softness and vulnerability to the role of café owner who eventually becomes the wife of the young man that Dogboy turns into. The production gives us so much from its small, picturesque and very portable set which has to be reasonably easy for the cast to pack away in a van to enable Hijinx Theatre to continue its mission to take theatre to small places like Theatr Fach.
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Review by Richard Withers
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The other woman by Paul Swift |
The Other Woman. by Paul Swift A well attended Theatr Fach appreciated "The Other Woman" by Paul Swift performed by the Hijinx Theatre Touring Company and directed by Louis Osborn, on October 21st last. During the 1st World Was, in rural Wales a young wife with her husband left for the Front, a new baby and a broken plough, finds life hard. Then the sudden appearance of a desperate young man, a conscientious objector, sets it topsy-turvy. A story of the other side of courage, with comedic moments, even a necessary transvestism (thus the other woman) illustrating virtues and flaws of human nature at a time of transformational change. A consummate performance that likely left the audience in reflective mood. |
Review by Dai Morgan
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Thanks for the memory ‘Music hall to variety" An illustrated history variety stars of the 1930s and 1940s Presented by Duggie Chapman |
It was a very appreciative audience at Theatr Fach that enjoyed Duggie Chapman’s presentation Thanks for the Memory – Music Hall to Variety last month. Duggie Chapman, theatrical impresario and musical hall authority - himself a variety theatre performer previously – had enormous success with the show at the Blackpool’s Grand Theatre, and although billed as an illustrated history of variety stars of the 1930s and 1940s, Duggie’s superb presentation covered a much wider time span, and included a phenomenal collection of film and television clips that started with some early television advertisements. Within two minutes the audience were singing the along to Beanz Meanz Heinz and several many more jingles. But the Heinz Beanz were just the warm-up act; it was the clips of the music hall and variety stars linked so interestingly by Duggie’s own recollections that were to give such delight. Quite obviously some of the clips and recordings dated back to the early days of cinematography when quality hadn’t been perfected, but this authenticity made the clips even more interesting. In addition to the seeing the acts themselves, the audience could appreciate the work of unsung pioneers amongst the film-engineer and cameramen community. Listing all the artistes and doing justice to their performances is impossible, but it could not be doubted that the audience were wallowing in rich and magical nostalgia. Who could not have been moved to see film of – for example – George Formby, Little Tich, Max Miller, Lily Morris, Nat Gonella, Issy Bonn, Gus Ellen, Ella Shields, Gracie Fields, Norman Evans, Teddy Brown, and such performers as Wilson Kepple and Betty, and Billy Cotton with his band? A clip of a ‘newcomer’ showed a young Des O’Connor, appearing - close to the bottom of the bill - at Finsbury Park Empire, and some very moving amateur footage of the last performance of the Crazy Gang at the Victoria Palace, showed Bud Flanagan enticing the retired Chesney Allen from the audience to sing Underneath the Arches. Seeing film shot even as recently as the 1960s makes one realise how filming capabilities have developed in more recent years, and even accepting that the latest equipment of their time was being used, it is a tribute to the lighting technicians and cameramen that such quality material was produced. Likewise, being able to witness the entertainers in close up, endorsed their supreme skills in timing, and with their every smallest movement. Attention to detail proved the professionalism of the performers and also of unseen stagehands and support staff. Norman Wisdom’s slapstick performance was clearly choreographed and timed to the smallest inch and to the shortest second, and likewise Tessie O’Shea’s movements were honed to perfection as she wooed the audience with saucy words and a huge smile whilst, without looking away from the audience, taking her ukulele from a stagehand at the side of the stage and playing the accompaniment to the song she was already singing - all within a split second. Even anyone not totally besotted by the – yes, admittedly, often very dated – styles of performance, could not deny the intrinsic professionalism. It is gratifying to know that this archive material is preserved, and, thanks to Duggie Chapman (and his very capable technician/manager), is still available for the public to enjoy. Appropriately, the last film clip was of Bob Hope’s final appearance at the London Palladium, singing Thanks for the Memory. In June 2009, Duggie chapman was awared an MBE for services to Light Entertainment and Charities. Duggie writes about Music Hall on his website www.duggiechapman.co.uk. His biography is also available there. |
Review by Richard Paramor
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"Oz" by Chrissy Moore-Haines directed by Julian Jones |
Once again, Dolgellau Amateur Dramatic Society - DADS – has produced a delightful and entertaining Christmas Show. This year it is Oz, based on the Wizard of Oz, the story by L Frank Baum, not the subsequent musical film. It is written by DADS member, the talented Chrissy Moore-Haines who has been responsible for many previous successful shows and directed in his debut as a director for the society, by Julian Jones. The show opened on Wednesday, 16 December to a full house audience in the Theatr Fach, Glyndwr Street, Dolgellau. All the well known characters were in the production. Dorothy was played by Marielouise Smith, also in the cast with splendid parts, were the scarecrow, the tin man, the cowardly lion, munchkin babes, winkies, witches, good and bad, not forgetting Oz himself. Dorothy`s dog Toto, was played on alternate nights by real dogs, Poppy and Gem, both of whom gave excellent performances. The narrator was Steve Holland The performance was characterized by much fun and laughter in which the audience wholeheartedly participated, and was a most enjoyable evening for all. Costumes, scene painting, and lighting were all of a most professional standard. Theatr Fach stages several shows a year, as well as popular monthly poetry readings. The theatre is at present in process of upgrading its seating and it offers a pleasant and comfortable venue for its productions. Membership is open to all who would be interested. .
A WIZARD CHRISTMAS SHOW “I like the scarecrow best, he reminds me of my mum” were the overheard words of one young member of the audience enjoying the Theatr Fach production of Chrissy Moore-Haines’s Christmas Show ‘OZ’ last week. Certainly, the scarecrow, played by Scott Wilson, was one of the endearing characters, and one wonders if Scott actually has any bones in his body such was his lithe performance; and the same applies to Emma Kelly’s performance as the Cowardly Lion, whom nobody could resist loving. Llinos Llewellyn-Ford, Sian Russell, Samantha James and Sophie Petford splendidly played the Munchkins, who helped guide the story, based on L Frank Baum’s book ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ to its eventual happy conclusion, not helped by the Wicked Witch – portrayed with fearsome reality by Moira Welstead – but thanks to the magic of the Good Witch brought just as convincingly to the Theatr Fach stage by Lesley Holland. Marielouise Smith, with exact and appropriately demure acting nuance, played the role of Dorothy whose silver slippers led her through the wonderland adventures accompanied at all times by her dog, Toto, played with consummate canine skill by Poppy and Gem in alternate performances. With Richard Withers as the Tin Man, Ed Penney as OZ, and Christine Speake as OZ’s gatekeeper, the show was narrated throughout by Steve Holland. Lighting, sound and set-construction were by Dave Collins, costume co-ordination by Christine Jones, properties we arranged by Evelyn Richardson, scene painting and stage design was by Leslie and Steve Holland, and Glenys Lawson; and Paul Baker handled the scenery changes. Julian Jones, the director of the production said afterwards, “We’ve given five performances, and although the weather affected audience numbers on just one evening, the theatre has been very pleasingly full for the rest of the run. I’ve been extremely lucky to have exactly the right actors, for exactly the right roles, and the result has been a magnificent show. And what must be a record for any amateur company – our prompter did not have to prompt once during any performance”
Anne and I (like everyone else, I think) enjoyed it very much. Lots of really good theatrical moments. The dog (Sat night) was amazing, I enjoyed our CMD student Scott Wilson's Scare Crow, Emma's characterisation as the CL was terrific, and Richard's derusting sequence unforgettable. Congratulations! Julian & co. did a really good job. |
Review by Brenda Gibbons
Review by Richard Paramor
Review by Ben Ridler
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It is difficult to describe the emotional tension in the audience at the climax of Ruth Nicholl’s superb Poetry and Prose programme Remembrance of Things Past last November, when Christine Jones and Richard Withers read extracts from Christabel Bielenberg’s The Past is Myself. Writing about it cannot achieve even the remotest impression of the impact of the words and the poignant way in which they were read. Christine Jones’s soft tones balanced against Richard Withers’s guttural and Germanic tones produced an unbelievable frissance; and how clever of Ruth to have placed them at either end of the table so that the counter-balance of voices and character portrait should be so acute; and how skilful, too, of her to have broken the impact of Christabel Bielenberg’s words with Pat Jones’s reading of Siegfried Sassoon’s ‘Everyone Sang’. Magic – pure magic.
Nor can one over-state Julian Jones’s moving reading of the account of the second battle of Ypres 1915 as described by Private Albert Bromfield, of the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Regiment. The description of the gas attacks over the dug-outs left one silenced. The account by mill worker Kitty Eckersley of recruiting in 1914, read so movingly by Pat Jones, underlined the intense stresses put upon ordinary people at such extraordinary times. Pat also read from the diaries and letters of Queen Victoria. Several other writings by Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Rudyard Kipling were given by John Bond .
Although the first half of the programme, which included Joyce Grenfell’s superbly sad Mulgarth Street; mysterious items such as Rudyard Kipling’s The Way Through the Woods, and the delightful Blackberry Picking by Seamus Heaney and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, was vital to the overall balance of the programme, it is the war items in the second half that carried the greatest impact.
Ruth Nicholls’s thoughtful programme has to be acclaimed one of Theatr Fach’s best Poetry & Prose evenings ever.
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NO PICTURE AVAILABLE |
The January Poetry & Prose evening was a collection of poems nominated by Theatr Fach/DADS members, friends and visitors. It was an eclectic collection of 31 items, and Richard Paramor who had co-ordinated the evening remarked on his surprise at the emphasis in the nominations of poems of a serious nature, rather than more light-hearted or traditionally sentimental works. It was, nevertheless, John Betjeman’s Diary of a Church Mouse that held the audience in thrall, and Pat Gill’s mouse-like rendition was superb. Particular praise has to go to Pat Jones for her reading of the lengthy Intimations of Mortality by William Wordsworth. Apparently, it took Wordsworth two years to write the poem. Pat Jones’s very sensitive interpretation took almost a quarter of an hour – but every moment was perfect.
The programme ended with Richard Withers expounding Andrew Marvell’s protestations To His Coy Mistress, appropriately counter-balanced by Moira Welstead giving a spirited reading of Wendy Cope’s Bloody Men.
Other poets included in the programme were Christina Rossetti, Rupert Brooke, Dylan Thomas, Sir Heny Newbold, John Milton, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, T.S.Elliot, Anerin, Alfred Noyes, Roald Dahl, Coventry Patmore, Anne Ridler, Carol Ann Duffy, Thoas Gray, W.H.Auden, w.B.Yates, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Hilaire Belloc, D.H.Lawrence,T.E.Hulme. |
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