I am currently spying on the National Youth Theatre of Wales 2009. Inconspicuously wedged in-between our associate directors Mena and Suzie, I am party to a process which takes 60 young actors, stage managers and designers from nothing to a full scale tour of ‘Century’, a commissioned work by Manon Eames...in 4 weeks! How I got here I’m not exactly sure, but being 22 years old, thus too old to be a company member yet too young to be a member of staff, I find myself in the unique and intriguing position of ‘observant director’.

Following the success of last year’s production of the Mabinogi, Tim Baker returns for his second year as the Artistic Director of the NYTW, having taken the baton from Greg Cullen. I was a member of the company as an actor for Greg’s 2004 production of Whispers in the Woods and 2006’s An Informer’s Duty, so am not oblivious to the challenges which face the company nor the pride which they will feel once the dust has settled. But back to my report.

There are obviously many weird and wonderful things about this year’s show which, if I were to tell you, would cause the powers that be wave my scent under the noses of National Youth Jazz Wales and let them hunt me down for sport. Suffice to say that I must keep silent about the fantastic set, the revolutionary use of AV and the monkeys (?!).

But what I can tell you is that this year’s show is big. Its Douglas Adams’ size big and all involved are pushing their artistic and physical limits to a new level. This huge undertaking has left two key impressions on me. One is the need for an almost telepathic ability to operate within the artistic team headed up by Tim. On the rare occasion that the team is functioning on anything less than ‘spoon bending’ efficiency it is still by far one of the closest and positively functioning groups of artists I can recall, proven by the team’s 100% return to the project from last year. Aberystwyth Art Centre is running out of cutlery fast.

The second defining feature of this year’s company is the young artists’ abilities to not only cope with, but thrive under the conditions they are in. A gruelling physical session is taken by actors and stage crew alike at 9.00am daily to prepare them for the physical pressures of such an epic project, and things rarely get easier from thereon in. Vocal sessions and a triplet of 4 hour rehearsals make me tired just writing about, let alone partaking in! Yet the day in day out experience of NYTW (Monday to Saturday) seems not to phase the performers or back stage crew, who poor every scrap of dedication, focus and energy into making this show, which will ultimately be their show, the best it can possibly be. All this and they still have the energy for the legendary NYTW Friday night Cheesy Disco!

My mission here will continue until September when I’ll be heading off to a new project (as long as Youth Jazz don’t get me first!). Although this means that I will miss out on seeing the fruition of the hard work on stage, I will have had the privilege of quietly observing one of the finest companies, youth or otherwise, which Wales has to offer. And some excellent monkeys.

Signing out,

Dafydd Hall Williams.