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Culture

Welsh theatres stir after lockdown-enforced hibernation

21 Aug 2021 3 minute read
An empty theatre

Sarah Morgan

Welsh theatres have been dark for a long time, with their programming and management teams poised on the edge of their seats waiting for the moment they can re-open.

Behind the scenes, teams have been working flat out to make theatres safe and reassuring for the returning customer. Online ticket sales, paperless ticketing, socially distanced seating, and smaller capacity audiences have all become a reality for most theatres in Wales, as has the concept of outdoor auditoria and community engagement events.

The industry has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, from venue staff to actors, technicians to digs providers feeling the pinch as theatre remained low on the re-opening road map handed down by government.

Never a bunch of people to twiddle their thumbs, arts centres and theatre companies have reached for ever more innovative ways to keep delivering to their audiences while the traditional venues have been dark.

Now, on the cusp of widescale re-opening, a glance through the What’s On pages of some popular Welsh theatre websites really shows how creative the venues are being as they step back in front of the footlights.

Bloom & grow

Theatr Clwyd jumps in feet first with a three-week programme of short plays, five new plays and ten actors each week, performing in the round in the Emlyn Williams Theatre.

Alongside this they are rolling out one-man or one-woman shows, music, and children’s events on their outdoor stage.

Smaller venues, such as Torch, Taliesin and Aberystwyth Arts centre are focusing on cinema, gallery and outdoor events at first, coaxing nervous audiences back with assurance of the ‘Book in Confidence’ schemes which allow flexibility with ticket returns.

Theatr Brycheiniog has had comedy and curry nights, whereas Riverfront in Newport has taken the ingenious step of hosting a baby friendly ‘For Crying Out Loud’ season, welcoming parents and infants to a morning showing where no one will huff and puff in disapproval.

Providing the live product, touring theatre companies have bravely stepped up with solo or small cast shows targeting audiences of all ages, and musical ensembles, no doubt sick to death of Zoom rehearsals, will be getting tuned up to make our hearts sing.

The Plague, the Civil War and World War II all brought theatre to its knees.

Then, irrepressible creativity and the social and political need for the arts brought it bouncing back.

Today, with technological will and sheer bloody mindedness, we are about to see them bloom and grow once more.


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

Pity about Theatr Ardudwy…no light in that darkness!

Sian
Sian
2 years ago

As someone who works for Bectu, one of the creative unions, I’m so proud of those working in the theatres, arts and live events sector. Many have suffered more than most during Covid, in particular those who couldn’t access UK Govt finance through Job Retention Scheme or SEISS. It’s important that we all support these fantastic creative workers in our communities throughout Wales – we all benefit & definitely need some entertainment & culture.

Adam Somerset
Adam Somerset
2 years ago

Theatr Clwyd gave its first performnce on 10th June. Ffrwnes’ doors ropened in June. Aberystwyth Arts Centre had dance in the Great Hall 13th August. Carew Castle, Insole Court, Rhosygilwen & no doubt other venues have been performing without publicity. For all the restrictions & hesitations those who make the arts have been yearning to be back. The outlier is Cardiff where no performance has been reported. Little Lighthouse was out in Ystradgyynlais while the National Theatre of Wales, according to its site, has no live performance scheduled at all.. From the evidence elsewhere it looks as though vaccinated audience… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Adam Somerset

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