Theatre Review: Huw Fyw

Ant Evans

Tudur Owen is a well known comedian, broadcaster and writer, working in both Welsh and English. Judging from how busy Galeri was, and the numbers in the audience, Owen’s first stage play, Huw Fyw, was very highly anticipated indeed. I had certainly been looking forward to the performance.

The writer is probably best known for his comedy, and whilst there are plenty of laughs to be had whilst watching Huw Fyw, such as the initial interactions between seventy three year old Huw (Tudur Owen) and Wendy (Lois Meleri Jones) or the way Huw refers to  former boxer turned minister, Twm Teciall (Dafydd Emyr) as ‘Duw’ (God), there are many quite serious themes which run through the play. But more about those later

Huw Fyw takes the audience back in time, initially to November 1995, around the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Flashbacks

During some of Huw’s flashbacks the audience is taken even further back in time, to the 1940s.

But it is the cantankerous seventy-three-year-old Huw (nicknamed ‘Huw Fyw’ locally, as he survived the Second World War) of 1995 the audience first encounters. He’s busy giving Wendy, who works for the local council, a hard time as she tries in vain to help him around the house.

We get the impression that Wendy’s heard it all before, whilst at the same time getting a glimpse into Huw’s world; being his untidy home, with recycled teabags that have been used umpteen times, smoke stains on the ceiling and even a washing up bowl under Huw’s chair, a makeshift toilet, as the one in his bathroom doesn’t work.

Despite his protestations, Huw does ask Wendy how things are with her son, Dylan (Owen Alun), who’s gotten himself in trouble with the law due to drugs, implying that he does care, even if only a little, about others.

The audience is left in no doubt however, that Huw would much sooner be left alone. Though that isn’t to be, as Twm Teciall comes to bother him, asking Huw if he’ll come to the Remembrance service in the chapel. Again, Huw leaves the audience in no doubt here that he’d much sooner forget.

Memories

During the course of the play, the audience is made privy to Huw Fyw’s memories, being taken back to the 1940s more than once.

These memories include the initial train journey with his friend, also named Huw (Owen Alun) as they’re on their way to war. As their train comes to a halt, Huw Fyw’s friend leaves his box on the train, which he has kept with him ever since (his friend having subsequently perished), not allowing anyone anywhere near it, making its contents a complete mystery to the audience, at least initially.

Indeed, the fact that he survived whilst his friend lost his life leads to our protagonist feeling immense survivors guilt and PTSD, giving the audience an insight into why he refuses to allow anyone to get close to him.

Ghostly apparitions of his friend Huw Farwodd, and Huw’s increasing distress, especially when at one point he fails to find his old friend’s box, are palpable in the way his dialogue is delivered by Tudur Owen.

By the same token, the eventual confrontation between Wendy and Dylan and the evident frustration felt by both at this point in the play are powerfully portrayed through the dialogue by Owen Alun and Lois Meleri Jones respectively.

The acting by each of the cast members truly provided an immersive experience for the audience.

However, this review would be incomplete if I failed to mention aspects of the production beyond the acting.

The sound effects, courtesy of Sound Designer Alexander Comana, such as the lottery draw theme or the alarm as Huw’s pie burns in the oven, really help to bring the world of Huw Fyw to life, almost like an additional cast member.

In addition, the work of Set and Costume Designer Elin Steele in taking the audience back in time and immersing us in that period, such as the vintage furniture and landline telephones, to the previously mentioned smoke damaged surroundings, indicating Huw’s smoking habit and the hanging teabags, leaving us in no doubt that our protagonist is incredibly frugal!

Touch tour

Speaking of the set, a note on accessibility. As this reviewer is partially sighted and likely to miss details here and there as a result, I was able to avail myself of a touch tour of the set before the performance.

This proved an invaluable experience, as I would easily have missed a few of the details of the set, props and costumes, despite being, as I was, sat in the third row.

I also found the Welsh language audio description incredibly helpful, especially during one particular scene as a character arrives on set silently.

I understand that the Welsh language audio description will also be available to blind and partially sighted theatre goers during the performances at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and Pontio in Bangor.

Hopefully, touch tours and audio description will become more commonplace in future. In addition, bilingual closed captions are available at every performance via the Sibrwd app.

Having mentioned at the beginning of this review how so many people had turned out for Huw Fyw in Galeri and how much I had been looking forward to it, I can hand on heart say that the performance left me walking home having had the best evening in a long while.

If you can get to any of the tour dates listed below, you honestly should.

Theatr Cymru’s tour of Huw Fyw continues at the following venues:

Lyric, Carmarthen: 7^th of May 2025

Theatr Felinfach Dyffryn Aeron: 9^th of May 2025

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff: 14^th-16^th of May 2025

Y Stiwt, Rhosllanerchrugog: 20^th of May 2025

Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli: 22^nd of May 2025

Pontio, Bangor, 24^th of May 2025