Happy 1st Birthday RWCMD!

One year ago today, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama first opened its doors. Since then, the breathtaking new building has revolutionised the way the College operates, seen 60,000 tickets sold, won four prestigious RIBA awards and even impressed Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. All of these achievements culminate tonight in a spectacular celebration of the RWCMD's first birthday.

My imaginary birthday cake for the RWCMD

Tonight's event showcased the incredible wealth of talent at the RWCMD. Regular readers will know I'm no stranger to the college, but I've only ever seen the drama, musical theatre and opera students perform. This birthday extravaganza gave me a chance to enjoy the exceptional talents of the music students too, in a performance that celebrated the diversity offered by the college. Starting with a pre-show performance of Unruly Women by the opera students (arias from the bad girls of opera), the evening blended percussion, brass, students from the conservatoire, musical theatre and drama. Musical highlights of the evening were Tianhong Yong on piano (who moved her fingers so quickly I could barely keep up with her!) and William Percy on cello. As for drama, Rebecca Newman and Dafydd Llys Thomas' monologues got everyone laughing from the start (you can watch them here, as well as the other students' monologues). A real treat was Alexander Griffin-Griffiths and Isabella Marshall's dark and compelling excerpt from Richard III which felt wholly professional. Finally, interspersed throughout the evening were excerpts from Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood. This must be a very special piece for the students, as they first performed it this time last year, as the new building was unveiled. They were only second years then and now they are about to graduate and prove to the world what skilled actors they have become. The comedy of the piece really suited the students, who regaled us with a variety of funny accents and facial expressions - perfect for this joyous celebration!

After the performance came champagne, cake, singing of Happy Birthday and speeches. Of course the students and staff were thanked for their dedication, as well as David & Philippa Seligman, without whom tonight wouldn't have been possible. Having only moved to Cardiff when the building was already in action I had no idea just how much the new facilities had revitalised the College, allowing the students to finally all study together on the same campus and rehearse and perform in industry standard locations. The building has also allowed the creation of the MA Musical Theatre, which is going from strength to strength (their next performance is Closer Than Ever, 3-7 July)

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In his speech, Welsh Minister for Education and Skills Leighton Andrews admitted he had only been to the RWCMD three times, and was seeing the students perform for the first time tonight. All I can say is that he has missed out. Tonight's event once again proved that the Royal Welsh College is brimming with talent, and will continue to get bigger and better in its second year.

That Face @ RWCMD

With the end of term rapidly approaching, it's time for the Richard Burton Company, made up of Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama students, to show off what they have learnt this year. Regular readers will know that I'm a huge fan of the Richard Burton Company (see Merrily We Roll Along, O Go My Man, and Blood Wedding) so I was excited about this end-of-term showcase. There are three productions on Our Country's Good, Earthquakes in London and That Face, and as much as I'd like to, I can't see all three. Our Country's Good is the big draw it would seem, being staged in the impressive Richard Burton Theatre. However, I've learnt from experience that where the company really excel is with contemporary writing, so I was drawn towards the much more intimate That Face by Polly Stenham, which explores the relationship between an alcoholic, manic-depressive mother and her children.

That Face is Stenham's first play, for which she won the TMA Award for Best New Play in 2007. With just five characters (and a non-speaking part), That Face builds a detailed portrait of a family torn apart: a drunken mother, an absentee father, a rebellious daughter and a devoted son. Henry (Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins) has only just turned 18, but has become a parent to his own mother, Martha (Emily Hargreaves), who, through substance abuse, is incapable of looking after herself. Martha clings on to Henry and manipulates him, with uncomfortable incestuous overtones, but Henry won't leave her as he refuses to give up the hope that one day, if he tries hard enough, he will get his mother back. By contrast, his 15-year-old sister, Mia (Aysha Kala) has escaped to boarding school, where mummy's drugs get her into a lot of trouble. Their father Hugh (Matthew Raymond) lives in Hong Kong with family number two, unable or unwilling to confront the madness he left behind. The subject matter is certainly difficult, then, but there is such a warmth to the play, particularly from the two siblings, that you really care for the characters and become deeply engrossed in their struggles. While their story is moving, it is not that unusual, so it's great to see a play which addresses these issues in such an engaging way.

I've been consistently impressed with Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins this year, so I was very happy to see him take the lead again. As I've said before, he has such a natural style which makes his roles always seem so truthful. With Henry, he simultaneously expresses vulnerability and inner strength, kindness and resentment. Utterly captivating. Usually a solid supporting part, Emily Hargreaves now takes the lead as Martha. Playing a drunken manic depressive must be a real challenge, with a temptation to go too wild and ridiculous, but Hargreaves displays just the right amount of restraint. She is very sympathetic and makes it impossible to hate Martha, despite what her children are going through. As Mia, Aysha Kala has such an enticing spark. I compared Kala's acting in Blood Wedding with something out of a soap-opera, but she seems much more at home in That Face. At the beginning she perfectly creates the 'casual psychopath' feel, not too over-the-top but just a little glimmer of madness in the eyes and smile. Then as Mia comes to terms with her actions, Kala brings a real sensitivity to the part. I hadn't seen Matthew Raymond perform before and was very pleasantly surprised. Again, he is extremely natural and completely believable as a father who feels bad for deserting his children but at the same time would much rather be out of the difficult situation. Rounding off the cast, Portia Panteli plays Issy, Mia's friend/accomplice from boarding school. She too has a spark to her, an infectious enthusiasm, but she could do with being a little more natural in her acting.

Overall, That Face is both a commendable piece of new writing and an excellent vehicle for the talented RWCMD students. Highly recommended.

That Face is one of three productions from the Richard Burton Company on at the RWCMD until 2 June 2012. The others are Our Country's Good and Earthquakes in London. Look out for more productions through June and July, especially the musical review Closer To Heaven on 3-7 July 2012. Full details at http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/whats_on/all_events.aspx
If you want to see more of the students I keep talking about in action, but can't make it to the RWCMD check out their acting profiles featuring video monologues. 

Blood Wedding @ RWCMD

Regular listeners to my radio show will know that I'm a huge fan of the Richard Burton Company at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. I was hugely impressed with their version of the difficult musical Merrily We Role Along and even more so with the contemporary play O Go My Man, as well as their recent actor showcase. I was therefore incredibly excited about seeing them tackle a classic play - Federico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding (1932) - especially when I discovered that all my favourite students would be in it. So it is with a heavy heart that I must admit that I wasn't that impressed.

While the Spanish music and the brilliantly crafted set (the whole stage turned into scorched earth under an orange sky) conjure up Southern heat and passion, the interpretive dance piece that opened the play left me cold. The dancing just isn't good enough, or choreographed well enough, to justify its place on the stage. We are then introduced to the Mother (Morgan Cambs) and the Groom (Jack Baggs) in a lengthy scene mainly consisting of the Mother droning on about how macho violence has taken her husband and elder son from her. While the anti-violence message is obviously an important one (especially considering how Blood Wedding was written just years before the civil war that devastated Spain), the Mother is a very unsympathetic character. I hate to say it, but I find Morgan Cambs quite annoying anyway, so the combination of her and this character wasn't fun to watch. As for Jack Baggs, he's good enough, there's nothing to dislike about him, but he has lost that spark which made him stand out in O Go My Man. Perhaps it's because his character is a bit of a sap, who doesn't notice until it's too late that his bride's heart belongs to someone else. That someone else is Leonardo (Tomos Harries, who you may recognise from the film Hunky Dory). Again, he's alright, but he doesn't quite bring across the passion of a man who loves a woman so much he's willing to ruin everything to be with her. As the Bride, Aysha Kala certainly looks the part, a mixture of innocence and beauty, but her acting feels like watching Eastenders. It seems to me that it is easier to be believable in a contemporary play, while the weight of a classic poses more of a challenge. There is a tendency to over-enunciate, or to shout to create meaning, and that's what Kala especially does (though she's not alone).

On a more positive note, Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins really impressed me again. His part (the Father of the Bride) was a small one, but he played it to perfection. Very natural. Charlie Langdell (Leonardo's Wife) too was as great as ever. She is just so alluring, with her beautiful voice, doe eyes and genuine talent. As for the rest of the cast, they all did well in rather minor roles. Robbie Lester was adequately menacing, mooching around the stage for most of the play as the shadow of death. I particularly liked Gillian Saker's energy as the Young Girl. Emily Hargreaves (Leonardo's Mother-in-Law) revealed a sweet singing voice, but again didn't shine as she did in O Go My Man. Moving away from the cast, set designer Madeline Girling deserves praise not only for the general design described above, but particularly for the design of the wedding feast that opens Act Two. The red carnations strung across the stage were beautiful.

I wanted to love Blood Wedding, I really did. But it is a difficult piece, which despite a few stand-out performances just doesn't play to the strengths of the cast.

O Go My Man @ RWCMD 10/2/12

Last week I had the pleasure of seeing O Go My Man, a recent play by Stella Feehily, perfectly brought to life by the Richard Burton Company at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Here's my review in audio form:


EDIT: When I went to Blood Wedding I discovered the costumes from O Go My Man on display.

A speedy review of Merrily We Roll Along @ Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Stephen Sondheim’s 1981 musical retracing the failed friendships and corporate sell-out of composer turned movie producer Franklin Shepherd isn’t one of his best-known, probably because it was a spectacular flop when it first arrived on Broadway, closing after just 16 performances. Yet the songs have lived on, especially the heartbreaking We Had a Good Thing Going and Not a Day Goes By. Now the students at the RWCMD prove what a wonderful show this is, moving effortlessly from laugh out loud comedy moments to powerful drama, packing a serious emotional punch. As the musical takes us back in time, the young cast, lead by Nicky Taliesin (Frank), Richard Russell Edwards (Frank’s old best friend and lyricist Charley) and Helena-May Harrison (the third leg of the tripod and writer turned alcoholic drama critic Mary) masterfully take the characters from their world-weariness and regrets at the beginning to their youthful enthusiasm at the end. Harrison was a particular highlight: while Mary could very easily swerve into caricature, Harrison keeps her utterly believable. Overall, I was very impressed by the standard of the production and look forward to forthcoming productions at the RWCMD.

A longer, although much more rambly review, is available here:   Xpress Culture 5/12/11 by Never A Frown