Buzz Magazine July 2013 | Page 32

stage

SHADOW BOXING
The Phoenix Gym , Llanrumney , Cardiff Tue 23-Sat 27 July It ’ s not often that the disconnected worlds of boxing and theatre converge , and almost unheard of that art is taken to an actual boxing gym . Shadow Boxing , the first project from new production company Broken Souls , does just that . Written by Bad Girls actor James Gaddas , the one-man piece tells the story of Flynn , a young boxer out to avenge his father ’ s humiliation in the ring , confronting himself and finding his true identity while training for a fight . This version sees James Ashton directing his Broken Souls co-founder , Pobol y Cwm and Hinterland star Alex Harries , the actor who secured the rights for the production while working with Gaddas on Emmerdale . Although associated with Chapter , the piece is site-specific and takes place in Llanrumney ’ s Phoenix boxing gym . “ The audience come into the world of the boxer ,” says director James Ashton . “ We are shipping people from Chapter by bus as though you are going off to a fight .” The links with the pugilist community don ’ t end with the location . Actor Harries , a former amateur boxer , underwent an intense training regime . “ He ’ s running , he ’ s training , he ’ s doing all the things a boxer would to prepare for a fight . He ’ s lost a stone and a half in a week !” The training is not unwarranted . The hour-long production puts the actor through his paces , both physically and mentally , leading to something uniquely challenging that confronts the entire spectrum of human emotion . “ He ’ s going to give a monologue and be extremely active at the same time ,” Ashton explains , “ it ’ s going to be like going for a fight and trying to deliver Shakespeare at the same time .” Shadow Boxing is the first of what Ashton hopes is a series of fresh and creative works from Broken Souls . “ The idea was to create a company which creates new and exciting work that excites people and brings new audiences in .” The pair plan to alternate between roles for each production , so expect to see Harries directing Ashton on stage in the next offering . Tickets : £ 8- £ 12 . Info : 029 2030 4400 / www . chapter . org JON DOYLE
RELATIONSHIT
Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama , Cardiff Wed 24 July Presented by the Richard Burton Company , the Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama ’ s own in-house theatre company , Relationshit tells the story of a Glaswegian girl and her conflicting relationships with a boy from England ’ s middle class and a shrewd , streetwise girl from south London . We follow her journey through young life as she falls out of love and unearths her own sexuality , producing an intimate character study of a young woman in contemporary society . Written by Glaswegian Rehanna MacDonald , a student at the RWCMD , the production is an honest and unabashed exploration of sexual politics between young people . The show features three second year actors from the Royal Welsh College , ensuring that the performances are convincingly true to life and fast paced , giving the whole thing a feel of youthful vibrancy and outspoken charm . With razor-sharp dialogue that is uncensored and not for the easily offended , the piece confronts social and sexual issues without fear in a way which is both entertaining and challenging for the audience . Tickets : £ 7 . Info : 029 2034 2854 / www . rwcmd . ac . uk ( JD )
KNEE DEEP
Gwyn Hall , Neath Tue 16 July Award-winning Australian circus troupe Casus ( Emma Serjeant , Jesse Scott , Natano Fa ’ anana and Lachlan McAulay ) formed only two years ago and now bring their debut work to the UK after having worked extensively throughout their homeland and further afield . This world-class circus collective have and constantly evolving with new ideas and performances and most recently the group have enjoyed a month-long residency in London ’ s Riverside Studios . Their one-off performance at Gwyn Hall is one of only three other performances currently scheduled for the UK . Using contemporary , as well as traditional circus techniques , a wealth of acrobatic and gymnastic skill , and aerial work to top it off , Knee Deep aims to explore the line between strength and tenderness through all manner of breathtaking and touching physical feats . As gentle and intimate acts stand beside those of thrilling physical prowess in beautifully lit staging , the audience will be left pondering in awe at the limits we place on ourselves and how far we can push or break them . The production will take you through a journey of discovery , short-lived relationships and surprising unions , and expose the fact that being delicate does not necessarily mean that you must be fragile , even if it is often a short step between them . Tickets : £ 12 . Info : 03003 656677 / www . nptartsandents . co . uk ( AW )
FALLEN
Chapter Arts Centre , Cardiff Wed 31 July-Sat 3 Aug Following the success of Muscle and last year ’ s First Love Last Rights , awardwinning writer and director Gregg Cullen has conjured up another evocative theatrical delight . Described by Gregg as “ magic realism ”, Fallen is a tantalising mixture of desire , perversity , mystery and sin . A farmer and his three adult children live in a remote Welsh farmhouse that is built from the stone of a castle ruin . Inspired by a Builth Wells legend , Gregg explains that “ somehow the relationships of the farmer and the three children are perverse and destructive and perhaps it ’ s because they have been infected by the blood , history and horror of this stone .” The family slides into a greater fusion of peculiarities when a man falls from the sky . Finding him washed up in the river , they are allured and transformed by the beauty of the corpse . “ He comes to represent different things to each person in the family ,” adds Greg . “ Each person projects onto this man what they need in their own lives . They project onto him their own sins .” As if all this idiosyncrasy isn ’ t captivating enough , who is the man in the green Barbour coat that comes looking for the corpse ? Gregg predicts that “ the audience will find it very funny at times ; sometimes it gets farcical . They ’ ll also find it very moving and undoubtedly controversial ,” but perhaps most intriguingly , he says “ I don ’ t want the audience to ever see the corpse ’ s face .” Tickets : £ 8- £ 12 . Info : 029 2030 4400 / www . chapter . org ( HR )
EVERYMAN OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL
Sophia Gardens , Cardiff Fri 5-Wed 31 July Everyman Theatre returns this summer with another packed programme of popular theatre productions for the open air . Having relocated to Sophia Gardens for 2013 , festival proceedings will kickstart with a production of Guys & Dolls ( Fri 5-Sat 13 July ). Comedy and laughter will then be on the menu at Everyman ’ s adaptation of Fawlty Towers . The infamous hotel hosts , Basil , Sybil and Manuel , will all be be serving up a treat from Mon 15-Sun 21 July as selected episodes from the classic television series are brought to the stage . Alice In Wonderland Jr ( Thurs 25-Tues 30 July ) is an adaptation of the children ’ s classic . A fast-paced amateur production from the talented young performers of andGo , the production features well-known characters such as the White Rabbit , Dodo Bird and Queen Of Hearts and new musical arrangements of Disney songs . Completing the festival round-up is Shakespeare ’ s Midsummer Night ’ s Dream . Weaving an enchanting tale of mischievous fairies , woodland yokels and confused , lost lovers , the open-air performance taking place from Thurs 25-Wed 31 July is an apt setting for the captivating play and the conclusion of a festival which will be hoping for a clutch of warm summer evenings to enjoy each play in all its outdoor glory . Tickets : £ 7- £ 16 . Info : 08448 700887 / www . everymanfestival . co . uk ( RH )
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