The Good Earth

Hey!! My name is Tom, Tom Jones, it’s not unusual – that one never gets old!!

We’ve been blessed here at the Park and Dare Theatre in being able to host Rachel and her team of actors from The Good Earth for the past three weeks. Geoff, our Artistic Director had discussions with Rachel some time ago and here we are some months later getting ready to go and watch the show….

As some of you will be aware – Rachel Boulton was Emerging Director on NTW’s 2013 Residency at the Park and Dare Theatre and what a delight she was to have then. This time, she brought her smiles back, plus cake which always keeps the staff here happy.  She even got the signing in and out business down to a tee – unlike some of our other ‘visitors….’ ;-). What a delight it has been to see her step up to direct this play.

I’m trying to keep this short and sweet, honestly. *scratches head*

I was fortunate enough to be able to watch The Good Earth last night at the WMC and immediately when you get to see a show there you feel as though you are seeing something of quality – worthy of a stage in one of Wales’ most recognisable arts centres. It was totally worthy! I never felt like I was being dragged through the play. I was totally engrossed from start to finish, the pace was good, there was humour, and scenes that really tugged on the heartstrings. (As you can see reviewing a show is not my strong point… Maybe I should get a thesaurus out like all the good reviewers do? Na, It was ‘tidy like’!)

The piece is about a village near Tredegar were residents were ordered by the local council to leave their homes as the mountain behind the village was expected to slide at any moment. The play focuses on the handful of villagers, who dug in and refused to move, creating enemies of the council, their friends and neighbours who moved down the valley to safety.

The biggest highlight for me?
It has to be, that as a Welsh man from the valleys (that line never fails me either!), the play was about a village in Wales. Stupid sentence? No, I was so pleased to see a piece of work that reflected my community. Even though this was a story about a village in 1979 so many narratives prevail today – the imposition, some may argue, of Tesco’s moving into small villages taking away “the butchers, the grocers, the bakery”. Communities “fighting the council” and the not-so-democratic committees they sit on. Dropping your h’s “w’en ‘ew speak” and many more!

Da iawn Fragments, ACW, WMC, RCT Theatres (and the many others) for supporting local, emerging artists and talent.

PLEASE, if you haven’t made plans this evening – go and see The Good Earth at the WMC showing in the WESTON studio at 8:00 and let me know what you think.

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Comment by John Atkinson on April 18, 2014 at 1:24

Great show - thought-provoking yet fun.  Impressive performances - especially the pin-point switches of tone/tempo/character without losing natural warmth.

Comment by Effisfor Flannery on April 17, 2014 at 2:09

Cracking Tom, so glad you enjoyed it. We couldn't have got anywhere near there without all the support of the RCT Theatres, hopefully you'll have us back some time again. [Cake included]

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