All Blog Posts (607)

A REALLY good night out in the valleys

A few of us who hope to be involved with NTW10 - butetown - watched A good night out in the valleys and we all thought it was brilliant. This is my first play and I went in arms folded thinking 'go on then... entertain me' and to my delight I was. My mind has been spinning not stop since with thoughts of what can be achieved a NTW10. Well done to ALL involved. Continue

Added by Gavin Porter on March 13, 2010 at 11:25am — No Comments

Of John Osborne & Theatre-Lovers

With “the Devil Inside Him” arriving in Cardiff in two months' time Bold Productions has a timely production of “Look Back in Anger” in Aberystwyth today & at Swansea's Grand next Thursday/ Friday 18^th/ 19^th. For an assessment read here.

I came across a real theatre-lover in print writing about "Arden of Fa

… Continue

Added by Adam Somerset on March 13, 2010 at 7:36am — No Comments

Shall we change the site font? Your views please.

Several people have mentioned to us that they find the font on this site rather difficult to read, so we have decided to offer some alternatives, and ask for your views.

We've come up with two alternatives - ARIAL, the second VERDANA. There is an image of what the site would look like with each of these fonts below.

Please let us know if you would like us to change the font or keep the existing one, and if so, which one - VOTE HERE

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Added by Tom Beardshaw on March 13, 2010 at 1:00am — No Comments

Likely Story Touring Pea

Likely Story Theatre Company are back on the road with Pea, an exciting new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, Princess and the Pea. www.likelystory.org.uk

What happens when real life and fairy tales collide?

Take a motley crew of time-trave

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Added by Anne Langford on March 12, 2010 at 4:32pm — No Comments

ACTORS WANTED for short film "Ticking Boxes"

We are film students studying at Newport University currently in pre pre production for our short film "Ticking Boxes". The story is about Love, Loss and a bit of dancing!
We are looking for 3 main actors.

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Added by Ash Whitfield on March 11, 2010 at 9:19pm — No Comments

Iron in the Soul - The Ultimate Disaster Movie on Stage.

Dance/music/multimedia project looking for a venue. Forge, foundry or cooling tower preferred. Suitable for all post-industrial areas.
Suitable for radical adaptation to suit company culture.
Adaptable for educational performances.
Check it out.

Iron in the Soul
Continue

Added by rob on March 11, 2010 at 7:09pm — No Comments

Reviews round-up

Hi everyone,

As one of the critics for National Theatre Wales, one of my duties is to thrust a load of reviews in your general direction and invite feedback. I hope that they're not torn apart too enthusiastically, in much the same way, I imagine, that others hope I don't slag off a play they've just spent months perfecting.

So here's a quick round-up:

A Kind Of Alaska had its first night at Chapter last night. I liked it… Continue

Added by Ben Bryant on March 11, 2010 at 6:53pm — 7 Comments

Hi

Good luck with the opening. As a good valleys' boy myself I shall attend the performance with my entourage on Friday 26th March in Aberdare. Ten quid a ticket though! It says from £5 on the publicity! Bloody hell! Also, I'm duty bound to report that the 'cut-up' style of editing you used on the promo film for 'Good Night Out' is strangely familiar...

Hmm...

Finally... a friend of mine auditioned for this show and never heard back, so as a little tribute to him an

… Continue

Added by David Garland Jones on March 11, 2010 at 5:24pm — No Comments

Who said that accountancy was boring? Not at NTW.

As it’s a day of firsts for National Theatre Wales – the first night of the first show of our first year! – I thought I’d join in and write my first blog.

I’m currently alone in the office as everyone else is at Blackwood watching the dress rehearsal. I’m not there because I’ve got a ticket for t

… Continue

Added by Rhiannon Davis on March 11, 2010 at 4:24pm — No Comments

First night of 'A Kind Of Alaska' - March 10th

You know that thing you do with good luck cards?...when you open them to vast acres of blankness..and the card invites you write something brilliant... and you cant ..and you think..blimey i spent £3.50 on this card and i cant think of a thing to say...well that happened to me.....Its not that i havent got things to say....i did have but its just the ability to say it in a few words that escapes me..you know the witty erudite phrase that sums up six weeks of work...that sums up the bond you f

… Continue

Added by Julie Barclay on March 11, 2010 at 1:28am — 1 Comment

Day 10.4 - Auburn Hair - Arriving into Cardiff

The girl opposite is projecting tinny music from beneath a mop of auburn hair. She wears a red autumnal scarf around her neck and an inspector gadget jacket with large black buttons. Her head is facing down towards the device playing the music. I am trying to decipher. It is a female artist, someone like Alanis Morrisette of similar. She is travelling on a return to Cardiff from... I can't remember where she boarded the train. The man with the laboured breathing exits. Possibly we are arr… Continue

Added by thomas Payne on March 10, 2010 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Day 10.2 - Missing Hour - Leaving Shrewsbury Station

I did sleep. The inflatable travel cushion came in handy. As I exited the train at Shrewsbury I passed an old man carrying a number plate. I saw him again a few minutes later in the coffee shop where he directed me to the much needed sugar. Pigeons are flocking about the bridge as we pull away from the station. I am not in my seat No. 20 F as the Man in 21 F is so fast asleep it seems unfair to wake him. Especially as the train is… Continue

Added by thomas Payne on March 10, 2010 at 7:30pm — No Comments

Day 10.1 - Departure - Somewhere between Aberystwyth and Borth

I should probably try and sleep. It is 5:15am and I am on the Arriva Trains Wales service bound for Birmingham New Street. I will get off before that. Shrewsbury, change for Cardiff. Then Ystrad Mynach and finally a bus to Blackwood. I should get in some time around 10:30am. As the train travels between Aberystswyth and Borth all that can be seen through the window is… Continue

Added by thomas Payne on March 10, 2010 at 5:30pm — No Comments

The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company in Cardiff - The Musicians Of Bremen.

This year The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company opened a new office in Cardiff in order to bring its Commedia dell'Arte inspired work to Wales.

The touring Company was founded in 1997 after seven years as a community company in Eastbourne, England, and is led by Pete Talbot, who trained in commedia dell'arte with the maestro Antonio Fava at the Scuola Internazionale dell'Attore Comico in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Our shows - which

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Added by Rowan Talbot on March 10, 2010 at 3:45pm — No Comments

Day 10.6 - BBC interview Dai Smith - The Gallery, Blackwood Miner's Institute

Five people including me. Six chairs, three laptops, two white pillow cases hung on the back of the radiator. One table covered with the remains of many dinners and breakfasts. NATIONAL THEATRE WALES in neon lights behind Dai Smith the chairman of the Arts Council of Wales. The BBC arrive and are beginning to set up lights for an interview with Will Gompertz the new BBC arts editor. The two men are engrossed in a discussion in prep… Continue

Added by thomas Payne on March 10, 2010 at 3:30pm — No Comments

From The Horse's Mouth guest performance

Spectacle Theatre will be hosting an invited guest performance of ‘From the Horse’s Mouth’ at Coleg Morgannwg Rhondda, on Thursday 11^th March, at

… Continue

Added by Elaine Lord on March 10, 2010 at 12:58pm — No Comments

Tittle Tattle ...

My new play 'Tittle Tattle, Tattletale' is being read at Live Theatre tonight as part of the Different Stages Festival. All very exciting ... Continue

Added by Alison Carr on March 10, 2010 at 10:46am — No Comments

Day 10.5 - Nancy's Cafe - Ystrad Mynach

The Bacon and egg roll, served with a mug of tea on a saucer, is to be honest, quite brilliant. I seem to have arrived at the cafe during mid morning workmans breakfast. A large group of men in grubby work clothes have just entered and ordered a combination of breakfast and sausage and chips. I am eating at a modern school table next to a gas fire taped to the wall with… Continue

Added by thomas Payne on March 10, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

Day 10.3 - The School Run - Hereford

The train, which had been overflowing with school children chattering about drugs and their boyfriends, returns to a state of peace and quiet. All but for the gentle rumble of the train and the laboured breathing of a rather sturdy looking gentleman to my left. A red brick and a green metal structure filled in with green wooden panels, their paint worn away, fades int… Continue

Added by thomas Payne on March 10, 2010 at 8:30am — No Comments

Day 9 - Sudden Panic - Aberystwyth

The sudden panic in question relates directly to the task that I have set myself for day 10. I have booked myself onto the 5:14am train from Aberystwyth tomorrow morning. I should arrive in Blackwood some time after 10:00am. I will then spend the day meeting people connected to the NTW and observing rehearsals before jumping back on the train and arriving back in Aber… Continue

Added by thomas Payne on March 9, 2010 at 10:30pm — No Comments