Ambition Is Critical
Written by Rob Surman

When Critical Ambition, Swansea’s newest theatre company, unveil their inaugural production of James Graham’s The Man this month, it will be the culmination of a teenage ambition for performer and co-artistic director Tom Myles. For Tom, a recent graduate of Exeter University, his love of Graham’s work began while studying Performing Arts at Gorseinon College, now part of Gower College Swansea. “I came across my first copy of the play when I was applying for Drama courses” he says. “The plight of Ben, the protagonist, really struck a chord, and I loved the playwright’s simple, effective use of language.” Due to his age, however, Tom felt he wouldn’t be able to do the character justice at that time, as Ben is in his mid to late 20’s. The play follows his struggle to complete a self-employment tax return form. Along the way, he forms a bond with Lisa, played by Port Talbot based actress Holly Carpenter, a kindly Inland Revenue employee who helps the socially awkward young man through his tax ordeal. 

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For director Dan Jones, also an Exeter alumnus and Tom’s partner in Critical Ambition, the appeal of the piece lies in its unique structure. “The exciting thing is that no two performances will ever be the same, as the order of the play changes depending on the audience.” Audience members will be given a receipt, which Ben will collect as he attempts to decide whether it counts as a valid business expense. “Each receipt sparks a different memory from the previous year, some of which are hilarious, others heart-breaking” says Dan, “but the order is always random.”

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Critical Ambition began life three years ago at Exeter, where the duo directed and performed in countless fringe productions. “The Drama department there enabled us to explore different interests and experiment with all genres of performance, from Sophocles right through to Punchdrunk” explains Dan. “The facilities and the number of people eager to collaborate allowed us to find our feet creatively.”

The company name reflects both the youthful outlook of its artistic directors, and their strong roots in the Swansea area. “We tried for a long time to come up with a name that reflected our commitment to creating modern, innovative theatre” says Tom. “Then one day we were watching a recording of one of our old performances. At one point, one of the characters uses a famous quote, and it hit us immediately.” The quote in question, ‘Ambition is Critical’ (inscribed outside Swansea train station, and often wrongly attributed to Dylan Thomas), was brought to a wider audience by Kevin Allen’s seminal film Twin Town. “I’ve always loved the quote, but felt we needed something catchier, more succinct. That’s when we settled on ‘Critical Ambition’.

But the name serves a dual purpose; it allows the boys to subvert Swansea’s undeserved reputation as the “graveyard of ambition”, another phrase erroneously linked to Dylan. “The arts have always had a strong presence in this part of Wales” asserts Dan. “The sheer amount of talented artists here is incredible: actors, writers, directors.” It’s a sentiment echoed by Tom: “South Wales is increasingly urbanised and post-modern, and we hope our work will reflect this.”

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As former members of the prestigious West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company, whose alumni include Russell T.Davies and Michael Sheen, Tom and Dan were taught by current GradCo directors Vivienne Buckley and Matthew Rees. According to Dan, it was an invaluable experience. “The training we received at WGYTC gave us an excellent foundation in theatre” he says. “We were so lucky to be part of such a uniquely collaborative environment. We got to devise our own plays, perform Shakespeare and Greek tragedy. It also gave us our first taste of modern, sophisticated dramatists such as Arnold Wesker, Dario Fo and Juan Mayorga. ” For Tom, what stands out most is the strong work ethic fostered by the company. “As a young member, the rehearsal process forces you to be incredibly disciplined and proactive. Without that, I doubt we’d now have the confidence to do what we’re doing.” With Critical Ambition’s inaugural production of The Man, things have come full circle, with Viv and Matt mentoring their first professional collaboration.

Though for the moment their focus is on modern drama, Tom and Dan plan to explore other genres such as physical theatre and Shakespeare, reflecting the full range of their professional interests. The pair are particularly keen to receive work from Welsh writers. “We’re very excited about new writing, and ideally would love to commission work by local playwrights.” Buoyed by its youthful idealism and commitment to utilizing local talent, Critical Ambition could make a fresh, dynamic addition to Welsh theatre. 

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