IT was big, it was bold and (in so many different ways) it was bloody good.
It was a privilege to be in the audience for Llanelli Youth Theatre’s Sweeney Todd last week. It was one of the theatrical ‘events’ of the year for this part of Wales.
Stephen Sondheim’s musical masterpiece is as meaty a challenge as you could wish for in the theatre – and Llanelli Youth Theatre (LYT) artistic director Christopher J Rees has never been one to shy away from a challenge.
Audience members were offered two views – a lofty seat in the Circle to get a bird’s eye view of the action, or the chance to go ‘immersive’ and join the cast and crew on the enlarged stage deck at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli.
My pal, Swansea musician Mal Pope, opted for the second choice, enjoying the freedom to stand and stroll through the sets of 19th century London, while the action unfolded before his eyes.
It was up close and personal – and Mal admitted it was an unusual experience being immersed in the action.
At times, he had to adopt Phil Bennett side-steps as the action unfolded with the speed of a rugby international match!
Also among the audience on the stage deck was LYT artistic director Christopher J Rees, taking every opportunity to tweak his vision of Sondheim’s classic.
Chris, together with LYT administrator Jill Stevens and other key members of the theatre team, deserve all the plaudits going for keeping the group alive over 40 years and helping to produce a ‘family’ of cast members who have gone on achieve great things in the theatre and in other careers.
Chris gave some insight in his programme notes into what makes LYT tick.
He wrote – ‘The very nature of theatre is people working towards a common goal, which is telling a story in a certain way.
‘You can’t escape the teamwork of the theatre. The social fun, interaction and energy of the cast and crew make those inevitable difficult times more than worth it. This teaches us to push through problems and conflicts by seeing the big picture, which is the team goal.
‘We learn that challenges often bring out the best in us.
‘Passion for the scripts and the collaboration of a team that you care about is great fun for those who choose theatre.
‘We learn to bring texts to life. We learn to live in the moment. We learn to improvise when necessary. We inhabit our characters each night on stage.
‘We face setbacks, but if it wasn’t for the sheer enjoyment to create, and make and perform, we wouldn’t keep choosing this highly-demanding work.’
Chris added: ‘The perseverance required by the theatre makes us stronger people in our personal lives. The world needs resilient people who step up and make it happen. In other words, The show must go on!’
For Llanelli Youth Theatre, the show has been going on for 40 years. Here’s to hoping there’s another 40 years ahead for one of our most exciting and innovative theatre groups.
- PS: If ‘the arts’ is your thing, then there’s a great event heading our way. Swansea Arts Weekend is on October 4-6. You can find out more on the website at – https://www.visitswanseabay.com/swansea-arts-weekend/ Or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SwanseaArtsWeekend
- And another PS: Special plug for Mal Pope, as he brings his ‘Golden Jubilee’ to a wonderful climax with a 40th anniversary concert at Swansea Arena on October 3. It’s the hottest ticket in town!
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THE reasoning went like this: anything that was once good enough for Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and Adelina Patti had to be good enough for me.
Of course, much has changed since the days the impressive Albert Hall in Craddock Street, Swansea, operated as a Music Hall.
But stars from the pages of history have left enough energy in the place for it to now be enjoying a new lease of life as a huge food court and hotel.
Mrs L and I gave it a try while taking a well-deserved break from city centre shopping – and the overall experience was positive, despite a couple of standard ‘oldie’ gripes.
Those who still believe in ‘Cash is King’ will find it challenging, contactless bank cards and mobile phone apps are the order of the day.
I consider myself quite a tech-savvy 60-something, but even I had to wrestle with the online ordering app. After five frustrating minutes, I realised I’d used the exact same app to order food at Newport Market recently – and (you guessed it!) I’d forgotten my password. Cue, lots of cursing at the phone.
When the order was sorted, the food arrived within 10 minutes – souvlaki and gyros from Olive and Oregano (very nice, thank you very much).
Of course, you can place some food orders directly over the counter at the food hall outlets. The trouble with that approach is that, by the time you get to the end of a one-lap tour of the food court, oldies like us have forgotten what they fancied at the start of the trek!
Don’t expect plates, but you will be impressed that full metal cutlery is in service. And customers are encouraged to tidy up after themselves.
At the entrance, there are some impressive displays of the history of the Albert Hall.
One suggestion for the team behind what is a very worthy £9m city centre regeneration project: include one display board at the entrance for us 60-somethings, with an easy-to-follow idiot’s guide of how to order and enjoy the experience.
Twitter: @rlloydpr
Email: robertlloydpr@rlloydpr.co.uk
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