John McGrath's Friends

  • Julie Bainbridge
  • AKA king Fissher
  • Laura Savelkoul
  • Sebastienne Williams
  • Gareth Tempest
  • Laura H Drane
  • Katie Roberts
  • Owen Griffkin
  • James Ellis
  • Rebecca Marie Lopuc
  • Jessica Sandry
  • Nicola Rodgers
  • Constanza Macras
  • Rhiannon
  • Elgan Rhys

John McGrath's Groups

 

John McGrath's Page

John McGrath's Blog

Fare Well Dearest Lucy

Today is the final day of work for our legendary Executive Producer Lucy Davies before she heads off to her new role at London's Royal Court.  Streams of people have been coming through our offices to say goodbye, and there will be a lot more well-wishing and happy reminiscing tonight. Lucy produced 24 shows in the first three years of NTW, as well as providing inspiring leadership and support to a huge range of people.  Her ability to help artists reach their very best work, to…

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Posted on April 19, 2013 at 16:00 — 1 Comment

Toyo Rehearsal Diary 5: Scientists, Dinosaurs and Ankles

Here’s a picture of the theatre space yesterday – as the designers and crew worked to construct our ‘in the round’ set, with 360˚ video projection.  It’s the first time the space has been used this way at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, so everyone is very excited to see the set go in.  The design…

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Posted on April 3, 2013 at 9:00 — 3 Comments

Tokyo Rehearsal Blog Week 3: Cherry Blossom and Details

I’m writing this on the Toyoko Line train to Motomachi-Chukagai, where I’m heading to see an interesting-sounding performance by Chiten company at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre.  It’s my day off and I’ve decided to do a theatre splurge – I spend four and a half hours this afternoon at the National Noh…

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Posted on March 24, 2013 at 15:54 — 3 Comments

Japan Diary Week Two: Brown Paper Rehearsals

At the centre of The Opportunity of Efficiency is the character Ken Lomax – a business consultant who measures the effectiveness and efficiency of companies’ processes and makes recommendations for re-structuring (usually involving a lot of people getting sacked).  The method Ken uses to assess a business’s…

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Posted on March 18, 2013 at 2:54 — 9 Comments

Community and Theatre - the Process Debate.

It was interesting to read Lyn Gardner’s blog in The Guardian today on community theatre and how we judge it, inspired partly by the fact that, sadly, she had not enjoyed NTW’s recent production De Gabay at all.

Her main question was whether we should judge…

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Posted on March 14, 2013 at 15:30

John McGrath, Artistic Director, National Theatre Wales

My job at National Theatre Wales is to build a community of theatre makers and theatre goers who together can create performances that change the way we look at the world. That's what great theatre does, sometimes for a moment and sometimes for a lifetime. And that's what we want to do here in Wales.

I've been a theatre director since my early twenties. The first ever show I directed (excluding embarrassing bossing around of family members and friends) was Trevor Griffith's extraordinary play 'Comedians' when I was a student. I felt that it was a play that talked about a world I understood. I loved it's punky energy as well as its real life relevance. During the interval we ran bingo games for the audience and I also realised that theatre feels best when great writing and performance combine with an audience who are alive and kicking!

I went on to work back in my hometown of Liverpool during the 80s, and I feel that there were many reflections of Wales (where I was born but only lived for a few years) in that time of desolating poverty and creative anger on Merseyside. Then I escaped to New York for a year, to train properly as a theatre director, and ended up staying for almost a decade in a city that stole my heart! I worked with some extraordinary performers and companies there and New York is the place that shaped me as a theatre director.

But it was when I arrived at Contact Theatre in Manchester in 1999 that all the bits of my life came together into an epic adventure - recreating a theatre for a young urban audience, working with artists from all over the world and, it sometimes felt, reinventing theatre on a daily basis.

In Wales, I want to apply the lessons I've learned in Liverpool, New York and Manchester in a whole new environment. I hope that the people I meet here online and throughout Wales will share ideas with me, argue with me, inspire me and challenge me, and that together we will create a new national theatre that is like nothing anyone has seen before!

I'm on twitter @john_ntw

Latest Activity

Catrin Fflur Huws joined John McGrath's group
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Writers

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupWriters who want to be part of National Theatre Wales, share ideas, get feedback from each other, and hear about opportunitiesSee More
15 hours ago
Devinda De Silva commented on John McGrath's group National Theatre Wales TEAM
" TEAM members in Praxis Makes Perfect (Credit: Dan Green/National Theatre Wales) "
yesterday
Michael Salmon commented on John McGrath's group Actors
"Hi actors - we are embarking on recasting two of the roles for our remount of The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning. If you are interested, and think you might be right for the part(s) let us know. Full details here. "
yesterday
Emma Angharad Baggott joined John McGrath's group
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Actors

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupActors who want to hear about news and opportunities at National Theatre Wales, and keep in touch with each other.Curated by Michael Salmon.See More
Wednesday
Laura Savelkoul joined John McGrath's group
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National Theatre Wales TEAM

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupTEAM is for anyone who is interested in being part of National Theatre Wales, getting involved in theatre or meeting new people. Join the group now to hear about any forthcoming meetings and opportunities.See More
Tuesday
Hugrún Jensen joined John McGrath's group
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Creatives

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupDirectors, designers, choreographers, composers, production people... A group for everyone who is interested in Creative Production at National Theatre Wales.See More
Tuesday
Scott Suter joined John McGrath's group
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Actors

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupActors who want to hear about news and opportunities at National Theatre Wales, and keep in touch with each other.Curated by Michael Salmon.See More
Monday
Catrin Fflur Huws joined John McGrath's group
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National Theatre Wales TEAM

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupTEAM is for anyone who is interested in being part of National Theatre Wales, getting involved in theatre or meeting new people. Join the group now to hear about any forthcoming meetings and opportunities.See More
Monday
Will Ford commented on John McGrath's group National Theatre Wales TEAM
"See comment below for pics of the day NTW TEAM Word4Word spent at Landed festival 2013. See  https://www.facebook.com/events/468342409918356/ for 'Back of the Pub Poetry Club, where I will be opening and closing for the open mic event…"
Sunday
Will Ford commented on John McGrath's group National Theatre Wales TEAM
Sunday
Buddug James Jones commented on John McGrath's group National Theatre Wales TEAM
"*CRITICAL CHINWAG* Next event is to see Reverie by Yello Brick on Saturday 1st of June (Cardiff Bay). Please get in touch by Friday 24th May if you'd like to come! I just blogged it as…"
May 18
Kaite O'Reilly commented on John McGrath's group Writers
"Apologies - see I'm duplicated something Adam posted, below... multi-tasking, trying to do too many things at once, moi? apologies all... x"
May 17
Kaite O'Reilly commented on John McGrath's group Writers
"FYI To mark their 25th anniversary this year, Nick Hern Books presents...   'Having a Play': playwrights on playwriting in the last 25 years A panel event and Q&A with playwrights Alecky Blythe, Lucy Kirkwood, Conor McPherson and…"
May 17
Adam Somerset commented on John McGrath's group Writers
"@Kevin 10th May The writer-as-wright-er concept is one that Simon Stephens returns to regularly.  "The noun “wright” in the word “playwright” comes from the verb “to wrought”.   It means the…"
May 17
Alexa Flynn joined John McGrath's group
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Creatives

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupDirectors, designers, choreographers, composers, production people... A group for everyone who is interested in Creative Production at National Theatre Wales.See More
May 17
Alexa Flynn joined John McGrath's group
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Actors

An Official National Theatre Wales GroupActors who want to hear about news and opportunities at National Theatre Wales, and keep in touch with each other.Curated by Michael Salmon.See More
May 17

Profile Information

What I do:
Artistic Director, National Theatre Wales
A little more about me:
Theatre Director, trained in New York, currently working with artists across Wales and beyond to create a new National Theatre in Wales.
Location:
Wales
Projects I’m working on:
The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning NTW18
In Water I'm Weightless NTW20
Personal Website/CV:
http://nationaltheatrewales.org
Twitter @username:
john_ntw

Comment Wall (37 comments)

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At 20:25 on February 3, 2013, Jan Miller said…

Hi John - didn't get a chance to say hello or even goodbye yesterday... we'd had a punishing journey down on the rugby train and were under pressure to shove back on to get home again - 2 carriages! can you believe it???   we survived standing for 2 hours and got seats around Ludlow... despite that, Film Team had an amazing time - thanks again to you all for a fantastic party! 

At 12:43 on December 12, 2012, Ray Thomas said…

Hello John,

Really interested in getting more involved with NTW, despite my age! Any advice about Group/s to join please? Acting and Directing work to date mainly with schools, Colleges, and some Adult groups, but keen to do more and to network! Have offered to work on a voluntary basis at NTW if appropriate and required.

At 10:35 on September 8, 2012, Wendy Hubbard said…

Many thanks John

Wendy

At 18:07 on August 14, 2012, Kelly Jones said…
Hey John
Hope you are well. Have noticed people commenting about the BBC writers award, I havent received anything in the post- when should I hear by?
Kelly x
At 22:36 on February 5, 2012, Carys Eleri said…

Can't wait for spring. Spring glamour plans looking so good. Hugs :)xx

At 11:54 on January 6, 2012, Louise Breckon - Richards said…

Thank you John.  I'm so pleased to have discovered this community, as living in London has often made me feel so remote from  welsh roots and connections.  It's great to see such lively creativity being used which I hope I can contribute to, both as an Actress and writer .  Here's to a good year ahead for all

At 10:26 on August 2, 2011, Christine Anita Kinsey said…

Good letter about Freedom Theatre John, thanks!

I thought people might be interested in this poem I've drafted for Jacob....Apologies if this isn't the right place to post it.

F.X .

A poem for Jacob Gough 31st July 2011.

 

Midnight chimes. Moist air carries the clangs

and the rattle-roar of the dark train that mends

the track between here and your old home, Aber.

 

No stranger to small hours, you work on

after rehearsals to make effects, cue sound

and light and programme visions.

 

At The Barmouth Assembly we asked,

What’s left after the summer tides?

And stormed the ice cream parlour

 

with music, words and war games

from Play Station conscripts. Barmouth’s band

of back bedroom snipers fire at screens of empty towns.

 

Now, manager of Freedom Theatre in Jenin,

your Call of Duty at 3.30 a.m. is to witness

the humiliation of your technician,

 

to squat in broken glass and become hostage

with young children whilst arrests are made.

Real IDF commandos with real guns,

 

pledged to uphold the impossible

‘Purity of Arms’ code to, “maintain

humanity even in combat.”

 

Earlier, on a level patch of Welsh hillside,

I reeled through a martial form: slow, elegant,

designed only to deflect unarmed attack.

 

The energy ball I held was an imagined globe

one hand on Wales, the other on Palestine.

Special ops were the hand-over of sky-

 

 

 

screaming swifts to soft fluttering bats.

Whilst turning the tides of Tai Chi

I focused on your impeccable sense

 

of timing, sharp ability to read cues

and hope this keeps you safe as gun

muzzles bore and silence.

 

At 9:53 on July 8, 2011, Kit Lambert said…
Hi John,
Great to see you yesterday. I just tried to send a private message re. poetry stuff, but for some reason it won't send. I have sent you an email instead - I hope that is ok. Please let me know if you don't receive it.
All the best,
Kit
At 10:01 on February 28, 2011, Sarah Jones said…

Hi John,

 

Peri and I are in Cardiff on Wed morning if you have any time for a cup of tea and a chat? No worries if not. Let us know if your over this way or we'll try you again next time we are in the big smoke, Sarah

At 10:20 on February 9, 2011, Sarah Jones said…

Hi John,

 

How you doing? Am back from my travels with the Strangers project and was hoping maybe we could meet sometime soon? Am actually in Cardiff tomorrow but am thinking that is too short notice... I could come in to Cardiff on the 2nd of March or if you are over this way doing anything for Passion then let us know or if you fancy a visit to one of our youth theatre sessions Peri could always hold the fort while we chat. Anyway let me know what you think. Hope all is great with you all at NTW, Sarah

 
 
 

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