stage
IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR... (WE’LL SETTLE IT OURSELVES)
Sherman Cymru, Cardiff Wed 25 Sept-Sat 12 Oct
Sound familiar? Of course it does – when it comes to family and the affiliated dramas, privacy is the only policy. Ignore the fact that this is a theatre production to be performed on stage, in front of an audience, and it has the same insular quality. It’s A Family Affair is at the Sherman Cymru theatre this autumn and is a retelling of Alexandr Ostrovsky’s 1839 original. The play tells the story of a family completely governed by their finances. I use family in the most general sense as, despite being a comedy, director Róisín McBrinn feels this is a classical play with a contemporary resonance and could be any family. She explains that this is “a play about credit culture and capitalism pushing people to extremes.” It makes sense, therefore, that the play still use 1850s Russia as its setting. Though this isn’t a space with which we are likely to identify, it’s the consumer culture that occupies that space which has never been more relevant. Comedy however is notoriously prone to suffering the ravages of age. That being said, upon reading an early 19th century translation as well as Simon Crowther’s new adapted version, I can attest to the comedic merits of the play. It is difficult not to snort at the acid-tongued retorts between characters and so the prospect of seeing this on the stage is therefore very exciting. The drama is driven by the characters’ absolute fixation with money yet, rather than providing one stingy miser at odds with the rest of the cast, all are complicit. At the centre of it all is the family patriarch Bolshov and the phony bankruptcy plans he’s devised in order to fool his creditors. A distinct absence of reprisal is something this new interpretation aims to deal with, despite McBrinn feeling it to potentially be more realistic: “There is often no comeuppance in life for those who deserve it,” she notes. This is sure to be a fun night out and features a cast so talented, McBrinn feels they may even be capable of bringing some likability to these ghoulish characters, a task I don’t envy. Tickets: £15-£22. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermancymru.co.uk ASHLEY MOULTON
MACBETH
Various venues across South Wales Mon 23 Sept-Thurs 10 Oct Witches! Ghosts! Murder! A forest that moves! It can only be Macbeth. Shakespeare’s tale of misplaced ambition, untrammeled desire and psychological horror comes to South Wales stages this month as Pontardawe Arts Centre take their production of Macbeth on tour. This production is part of Pontardawe Art Centre’s Shake it Up – a project which aims to bring modern interpretations of Shakespeare’s work to as wide an audience as possible. Derek Cobley’s production is set in modern day Afghanistan, and aims to draw parallels between the conflict there and the themes of Macbeth, most potently the reckless pursuit of personal ambition without thought for the consequences. By showing that its themes resonate today, the company hopes to demonstrate to younger audiences that these plays have that most important of funding criteria: relevance. Certainly a play which asks questions about the legitimacy of political leadership is not lacking in relevance to today’s society. And if all that fails to entice you then there’s also a bawdy scene featuring a drunken porter pontificating on the nature of alcohol and desire. Is Macbeth mad, or are the witches real? Is that really Banquo’s ghost, or a figment of the king’s conscience? Macbeth challenges audiences to ask questions about power and desire and proves there are no easy answers. Tickets: £5-£9. Info: www.nptartsandevents.co.uk/macbeth (DG)
BUZZ 40
WHO’S AFRAID OF RACHEL ROBERTS?
SEAN LOCK: PURPLE VAN MAN
Various venues across South Wales, Fri 13 Sept - 4 Oct Despite being an award-winning actress and giving co [?\??Y[[?X?H \???X[??\?[???[???XZ?[???]?[??[?? ?[X\??X?[??\? ? ?\? \?\ ?[ ?^\??] \??????\?[?\??]X????Y?H \???X[??\?\?]HH ?[]]?[ H ?[\H \??[??[??[?[?[K?X?[??[?\? ?^H[??? ]???8?& ?[]H ???Y] H[? H NM? ?\? ?\????X? [??? ?\? [?]Y\?[?X?H [[? ?X?[[?\? ?\?] [? ?X??X\??XY?H ? ??Y[?Y?[??^\??\????Y H\? [\\? [?\??] ?Y?[?\?[??[? ????]]?H?] \?HY ?^H ?[???\?K?\?Y\? ? ?Y??\?[? ?ZX?YH] HY?H??\?
L? YX\??? ?????[??????H] ? ?X??\??[ ?\?\? YX\?[[??Y??[?\???HY?Z[? Z?[??? H??\? ?X[?H??H ? L? ?\?????&\?Y??ZY??X?[??\? ???[Z[?[?? \?[ ]]?[?[?\?\??\?[?Y[? ?[?[? ?]H?\??[??XZ?[? ??][?? ?[??H? [[?\???\? ? ?\?[ ?^\??\??[?][?? ? ?]?[??]?\?\?? [? ??Y? H[??Y?[?????&\?Y??ZY??X?[??\? ?? ?[?H] HX?\?\? ?]\? ??[? ?H???H L??\ [?] H???Y?X] ?H[?X?\??]?[??H??] M?\ ?Y??H ?[??][?? ? H?\?X[?X] ?K?\?Y?????H Y\? M??\ ??] ?H?\ ?H?[?[ ???? H ?\? Z?\? X?H] H?]??HX] ?K[?[?]? H
??X??] ?0??L?p??M ?[????YH\?[???
?B???]?Y8?&\?[ ?\?Y????H ??\ ?]?Y8?&\?[\? ?] ? ???? ?]]Y? \?\???YYX[??X[?????&\? \?H?[?X[? ??? ?? ?[?? H?\][ ?Y?\??[Y\??\?????[?? Y[???Z[??H??]\?\???H\ YH[? H[?[?Z[????[? ?[??[??K H?X\?\?????\??Z[ \\? ?\\??\?H\??H???]Z[??&\? ]ZX??\?[??[?\???YYX[??\?X?[] H ??[? [[?\?[???\??[??]?\?Y^H [X[??Z]?[?\?[?[?\?X?[?\?] H??Y???? \?H?[?X[???H??? H ?\?[? \H?H ?]H ?[?X[??]?X[???? ?[? ?\??[?[??X\? ?????&\? [?\]YH ? [H\???[YY[?\??\??[?? H ?] \? ??
Y] ??YZ??H\?
M?
N????\??H ?X? ?XY ?8?' YH ??[Y\??\?[\??\??H]?H?Y[????Y ? ?] \H ?] \????????X?? [?\??[ ?\??'H^ X???? ??H[??[ ] ?? H[?H ?]??[???[?[??? H \ ?[???????]\??[ \?K ?]\? ?\??X[\?[? [?\]YH??\??][??? H] H [???[?Y?H Z?[???[? ?H ?Y?K???X?[?Y ?]H ?[ H \?X?[X?[] H ?[\\???]H?\?X?\??[?\? ?Y?] \?H[?X??\?\? ??Z?\? ?] ?[ Z?H [?H?H??\??^H???]Z[? ??Y? H^Y\??????]X??Z[YY ?]?Y]?????H\?]\? ????\??[? H??[? ?K ?\\?H [?\??[? ?[?\? H ??? H \?H?[?X[??X??] ?0???L ?[??? ?H ?
?
? ??˜?]?Y ?[?\?Y?????Z?
B???S?T??T???[Y\?[?\? ??[? ?K??[??XH??H L??\ ???H?Y? ? H[Y\?[?\? ??[? ?H ?[ ^H?? ??[ ?\??\??H ^H[ ?[??[??H \?[?[? HY?H?? \?]?Y\?[?\? ?[][??\ ?]?? \?H??Y[?[??H?]?[??HY?[?\??H ^H\? ?][? H]H NM? ? ?[?]?Y\??&H]H]\?\?H ?X???][?[??]?[??&\??[?[ ?Y?Y H?[YH ??]\?Z?HH [?\??\ ?\??H? H[?? ??Y?X? ?]\??? H ? ?[? \?H[?X\?\??Y? ?Y[?? H ?? ??K? \?]?Y\???X?[?Y [?\?[???\??][???[^\?Y?H ?]H ?[??[?? ?[??H???YY K?\???]\?H??Y[?[??H?]?[? ??H\??[? ??X?Y??[ ?\??X?Y?H????[\?\?8?' ??Y]?\?H?] ?Y[? ?] ?H[?XY?\???'K?XX?]?YHY?H? ?[?[??[?[?[? ?X? ?X?] ? ?^ X[] H[?Y\ ]Y\?[??? \???[Y[?] H \??Y???[? H[? H ?Y????Q?K]?[??[??X???X?\?[?[? ??\?^ [??]?H ??Y[? X] ?K []?\?[?[? ?Y[??Y] ? ?[ ^H]?Y\?[???[??]?\? ]?[??[?? ?]\?[?\?X?? ?????] ???HY?Z[?????[?? Z\? ?X??\??[? ? L? ?]H?^?\? H??][?HX[?????H?\?? ?\?[?Y?HX] ??YZ\?[?\????X][? ?]H? \?]?Y\? ?\?[?]\?] \?H?[\? H \???X[??H ?[?H????Y?HH ??\??\??[???? ??H [?X?H ?XZ?H H ??]\?H \???X[??KH ?\?? H ?? X?[?\? [??Y?^ YX\??X??] ?0?? ?[??? M?L?
? ?
? ? ??? [Y\?[?\? ??[? ?K???Z?
?
B??