Podcasts about National Theatre Wales

Thought-provoking winning drama by the inaugural Wales Writer in Residence award winner Rhiannon Boyle.Safe From Harm tells the frank and powerful story of Alys, a teacher and mother whose life unravels when a colleague is arrested for possessing indecent images of children. Unable to cope, Alys contacts a celibate paedophile in an attempt to better understand the danger they pose. Her primal urge to forever protect her children becomes so all consuming Alys slowly loses her grip on reality. Sian Reece-Williams (Hidden, Emerdale) plays Alys.The Wales Writer in Residence is a prestigious scheme, aimed at furthering a writer's career across stage, sound and screen. It is a partnership between BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales, along with BBC Writersroom Wales, with the intention of supporting new writing talent.Alys ….. Sian Reece-WilliamsChristian ….. Oliver RyanIanto ….. Sion PritchardMum ….. Rhian MorganTyler ….. Alfie FordTaya ….. Nerys StocksKyden ….. Iolo ReynoldsSound design was by Catherine RobinsonSafe From Harm was a BBC Writersroom Wales productionDirected by Helen Perry

Actor Michael Sheen explains how he was rehearsing his role as the creator of the NHS, Nye Bevan when he heard about the demise of National Theatre Wales and decided to make plans for a new organisation, using some of his own money. Matthew Bourne talks about his new stage production of the musical Oliver! and the 30th anniversary tour of his groundbreaking version of the ballet Swan Lake. The society of authors has asked for Ghostwriters to be recognised, particularly when celebrities are involved. We speak to two ghostwriters about this potentially secretive process. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Ruth Watts

Daniel Kaluuya on making his debut as a director and screenwriter with his new film, Kitchen - a dystopian thriller set in London twenty years from now.Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Wales, on the surprising and controversial decision to stop funding National Theatre Wales. Plus, as his organisation faces a 10% budget cut, he talks about the impact on the creative sector in Wales.Late last year, the decision by Warner Bros. to shelve a $70 million film which had been completed and scheduled for release in 2023 sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Film producer Stephen Woolley and Tatiana Siegal, Executive Editor, Film & Media at Variety, discuss what this reveals about the current state of filmmaking in Hollywood.Korean Danish artist Jane Jin Kaisen describes her work as giving aesthetic shape to histories that in different ways and for different reasons have been silenced or marginalised. As her solo exhibition at esea contemporary in Manchester prepares to open, the director of the gallery, Xiaowen Zhu, reflects on a show which weaves personal and political stories rooted in Jeju Island, South Korea.Presenter Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Jacqui has been working in Stage and Production Management the last 25 years. with a major focus on Conservatoire training. She has taught at several conservatoires and is a Master of Education and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2018 Jacqui became joined the senior leadership team at Sharjah Performing Arts Academy to design and implement a Conservatoire performing and production arts undergraduate training in the MENA region.    Jacqui has worked with professional companies such as National Theatre Wales, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and Shared Experience. She has toured the UK extensively, produced Rep seasons in the West End, and internationally worked in Shanghai; World Expo, Berliner Festspiele, and Paphos; City of Culture. Jacqui also enjoys producing work with her and her husband's company We Made This.  Jacqui was one half of Stand By Please, the stage management podcast with Antonia Collins and she is Project Director for World Stage Design 2025.   @theatreartlife Thank you to our sponsor @clear-com The TheatreArtLife Podcast is a branch of our larger TheatreArtLife Community. Come visit us at www.theatreartlife.com

Backstairs Billy is a new play about Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, and her loyal, camp and working class servant, William Tallon. Penelope Wilton, who plays the Queen Mother, and Luke Evans, who plays her Steward and Page, talk to Tom Sutcliffe about creating these characters. Jonathan Escoffery has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize for his novel If I Survive You. Through a series of interlinked short stories it explores issues of race, masculinity and living in the United States as a second-generation Jamaican immigrant. The decision by the Arts Council of Wales to stop funding National Theatre Wales has made headlines in and outside Wales. Executive Editor of Wales Art Review, Gary Raymond, and theatre director and producer, Yvonne Murphy, join Front Row to discuss the ramifications. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Julian May

On Culture of Possibility podcast #29, listen to François Matarasso and Arlene Goldbard interview members of TEAM from National Theatre Wales. We talk with Natasha Borton, Anastacia Ackers, and Naomi Chiffi about two multi-year community projects: one in Wrexham and one in Pembrokeshire. These unfolded during COVID and engaged many hundreds of community members. One focused on nature and the environment, while the other focused on issues surrounding homelessness. Both François and Arlene believe we can all learn a lot from the process they describe.

National Theatre Wales is about to open a new production described as a live documentary performance, Circle of Fifths. With cast and stories drawn from the local community, and taking place inside and out, it combines film, performance, storytelling, live music and dance, to tell stories of life, death and grief. The director Gavin Porter joins Front Row to explain how it will work. Because of the bad behaviour of human the world keeps coming to an end. Fortunately there is an organisation of people who can reset time to before disaster, take action and so save the planet. That's the premise of a new eight part action television series starring Paapa Essiedu. Karen Krizanovich and Kerry Shale review The Lazarus Project. They have also been watching the film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande in which Emma Thompson plays a retired R.E. teacher who has never had an orgasm. So, she hires sex worker Leo Grande, played by Daryl McCormack, to teach her about the pleasures of sex. In the process both learn a good deal about themselves. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Sarah Johnson Photo credit: Mei Lewis, Mission Photographic

Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales, Lorne Campbell joins Ciaran on this episode of 'In Lockdown With...' Lorne started out as Associate Director of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh before becoming Artistic Director of Northern Stage in 2013. Lorne re-wrote the book for the musical 'The Last Ship' with music by Sting, for Northern Stage. He became artistic director of National Theatre Wales in autumn 2019, just before the pandemic, where he is working to support Welsh and Wales based artists in the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic. National Theatre Wales are also involved in Festival UK 22, working as part of Collective Cymru creating work which will be showcased in 2022.   

Ciaran is joined on this episode of the podcast by writer Jon Tregenna. Jon studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, before starting out as a writer. Jon uses multi-platform storytelling in his work, and here he talks about how he uses that technique in his work. Jon's play 'Hail Cremation' was meant to be produced by National Theatre Wales, but had to be delayed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Jon is also a songwriter, and throughout the pandemic, he has written three albums of topical songs about the unprecedented times we are living in. 

Next up in the series, I interview painter, writer, director, filmmaker, animator, graffiti artist, and spoken word, music and dance performer - KYLE LEGALL. Kyle has designed, written, directed and animated four 2D short films for Channel 4 and S4C. He also makes cover art and music videos for local Welsh bands. In 2015, he became was an artist in residence for National Theatre Wales. Kyle's artistry often genre hops; from directing and writing for animation and films - to developing theatre projects and graffiti murals. In addition to this, Kyle also designs and makes his own graffiti clothing line (Higher Graphics). He is an emerging director and has worked on productions of Storm 1, 2 & 3, collaborating with theatre directors Mike Brooks and Mike Pearson. In Mouth-Off Episode 17: Art attack - provoking feelings through visual arts; Kyle discusses his experiences as a black artist, prior to and amidst the Black Lives Matter Movement. He also talks about Butetown - the inspiration behind a lot of his work, such as his 2017, play “R.A.T.S (Rose Against the System), which he wrote, directed and acted in. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Featured music: Intro and Outro theme music - by Clary Saddler Dee's Dish of the Day audio clip - by Kyle Legall - animation for Channel 4 (taken from YouTube) Mary Secole audio clip - by Kyle Legall - animation for S4C (taken from YouTube) Cardiff 1919: Riots Redrawn audio clip - by Kyle Legall - graphic novel with spoken word text for National Theatre Wales (taken from YouTube) R.A.T.S promo audio clip - by Kyle Legall - play commissioned by National Theatre Wales (taken from YouTube) Tell on you - by EARTH (taken from YouTube) Pieces of a Man - by Gil Scott-Heron (taken from YouTube) Revolution will Not be Televised - by Gil Scott-Heron (taken from YouTube) A Friend - by KRS-One People in my Hood - by Masta Ace (taken from YouTube) Follow us on Facebook @FMNproductionsUK Follow us on Twitter @1_forget Follow us on Instagram @forgetmenotclary Like the episode? Leave us a review here https://bit.ly/Mouth-Off

Ciaran is joined on this episode of 'In Lockdown With...' by playwright Kaite O'Reilly. Kaite is the foremost disabled playwright in the UK. Kaite studied theatre and English literature at the University of Sheffield, before starting out as a performer with Graeae Theatre Company. Then, she turned to playwriting. In 2002, Kaite's play 'Peeling' was produced by Graeae, and has since been revived by Taking Flight Theatre in 2019. One of Kaite's other plays 'In Water I'm Weightless' was part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad produced by National Theatre Wales. Here Ciaran talks to Kaite about her facinating career. 

Ein gwestai cyntaf yn y gyfres hon yw Rhiannon Oliver. Mae Rhiannon yn actores sydd wedi gweithio yn y theatr a theledu ers mwy nac 17 mlynedd. Mae ei gwaith hi yn cynnwys perfformio gyda National Theatre Wales, teithio o gwmpas Prydain ac America, ac ymddangos ar Doctors a Torchwood.    

This week, we're talking about presenting for preschool TV. Our guest is the fantastic Sita Thomas, who has been a presenter on Channel 5's Milkshake! since 2015. As a presenter, Sita introduces TV shows, shares arts and crafts skills, teaches us about different cultures and traditions, leads us in dance routines and much more. Presenting is an incredibly varied role, demanding huge amounts of energy, enthusiasm and skill - and Sita's here to tell us how it's done. As well as being a presenter, Sita is a director and movement director, having worked with National Theatre Wales, Tamasha, the National Youth Theatre, Out of Joint and many companies and organisations. She's also an academic, teaching and lecturing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and has been a guest lecturer and personal academic tutor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Across all her work, Sita is committed to improving the representation of people from marginalised communities across stage and screen. You can find out more about Sita here: https://www.sitathomas.com/. Or follow her on Twitter: @SitaThomas5. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Critically Speaking Season 2 - difficult conversations about systemic racism and white privilege in the arts in Wales. In Episode 4, Jafar talks to Lorne Campbell, the Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales. Our creative contribution for the episode is called 'White Privilege', written by Connor Allen. You can follow more of Connor's work by following him on social media. For more information about National Theatre Wales' work, visit the website: www.nationaltheatrewales.org. This episode was produced by Jasmine Grace Okai. Sound design by Fez Miah. The original soundtrack was produced by Eädyth. Research by Aki Gurung. This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council Wales.

Welcome to Chippy Lane’s Podcast, series two the PICTURES / LLUNIAU PROJECT. This series celebrates Welsh and Wales-based writers and their stories. This is our Xmas 2020 special, an extract from CARDBOARD DAD by Alan Harris. Donna waits for David, alone in they're flat. Alone, that is, until she gets a special cardboard delivery that turns her world inside out. Alan Harris's bitter-sweet comedy, tells the tale of a woman who realises that second best is never enough.Writer: Alan Harris Plays written for theatres throughout the UK and internationally, including Paines Plough, Manchester Royal Exchange, the Sherman Theatre and National Theatre Wales. He won a Judge's Award at the Bruntswood Prize for How My Light Is Spent. Musicals and opera include the book for The Scythe of Time at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The Left Behind (BBC Studios/BBC3) won the BAFTA for Best Single Drama (and BAFTA Cymru for Best Television Drama). He has also written plays for BBC Radio 4, Radio 3 and Amazon Audible. Director: Hannah Noone Alumni of the Sherman Theatre’s JMK Directors Group (supported by The Carne Trust), Co-Artistic Director of Opera'r Ddraig and an Associate Director for Chippy Lane. Directing credits include: Lung Water - Network Reading (Chippy Lane / NTW / Sherman), TEN/DEG (Sherman Theatre), Elixir of Love (Opera’r Ddraig / Kings Head), Arcadia (RWCMD), Worlds Apart in War (Theatr Clwyd / National Trust), Between Eternity & Time (RWCMD / Sherman Theatre), BoHo (Hijinx / Theatr Clwyd). She has also worked as Assistant Director and Staff Director at the Royal Opera House and The National.Performer: Cecilia Appiah Cecilia is a recent graduate of BA Acting at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama class of 2020. Since graduating she has been working with BBC Radio Drama as part of the radio drama company where she has been working on various plays including The Son, Life is a Radio in the dark and Wasteland all aired on Radio 4 and 3. She has recently filmed an episode for BBC Casualty and participated in the play reading of Gull with the Far Away Plays. Performer: Luke Nunn A 2020 graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Since graduating Luke has been part of the Radio Drama Company at the BBC working on a number of projects including: Keeping the Wolf Out, Life is a Radio in the Dark and Clash. Luke has most recently finished shooting a feature film (The Road Dance) on the Isle of Lewis. Sound Designer: Charlie ForanCharlie is a graduate of the BA (Hons) Stage Management and Technical Theatre Course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. During that time, specialising in live sound engineering, theatrical sound design and recording. Charlie has worked on productions such as An Octoroon at The National and Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall. Alongside these productions, Charlie has worked on podcasts with Unheard Poetry on their Pride and Protest series and on Chippy Lane Productions (Samu(El)egy) and THE STARS IN THE DARKROOM.  Written by Alan Harris Directed by Hannah Noone Performed by Cecilia Appiah featuring Luke NunnSound Design By Charlie ForanProduced & Edited by Chippy Lane Productions Ltd. Music by Grand Tradition  This podcast has been kindly supported by The Carne Trust.

Welcome to Chippy Lane’s Podcast, series two the PICTURES / LLUNIAU PROJECT. This series celebrates Welsh and Wales-based writers and their stories. Each episode focuses on a new writer, a personal picture of theirs, and a story they want to share with you. So, sit back and enjoy.  *THIS EPISODE IS STREAMING ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. Writer: Jonny CotsenBased in Cardiff, I’m a performance artist, consultant for inclusion and access and advocate for deaf communities.. I’m a trustee for Disability Arts Cymru, Theatre Iolo and Nova Theatre. I’m involved with multiple local and national initiatives supporting inclusion and equality of opportunity in the arts, including Arts Council Wales, Theatr Iolo, Unlimited Connects, Watershed Bristol and Culture Reset. My performing credits are: 'Louder Is Not Always Clearer' (Mr & Mrs Clark, touring 2018 - CURRENT), ‘English' (Quarantine and National Theatre Wales, 2018), Ways Of Being Together (Jo Fong, 2019), and Cardiff: City Road Stories (Sherman Theatre, 2019). FIlm; ‘Next Of Kin’ (Reality Theatre 2020) Performer: Will Lewis Will is a Deaf actor based in London and his paternal family are from Wales. Career highlights include: Fleabag (BBC), “Our Country’s Good (Ramps On The Moon), Deaf Funny (BSL Zone) and Deaf Awakening (D-Live). Will has  also performed in music videos, commercials, short films, social media campaigns and inclusive theatre in education for young deaf and hearing people. He is an online presenter for Triple C and has just completed British Sign Language Level 6. “Why Does It Matter” is Will’s first podcast. Director: Chelsey Gillard Chelsey is the Carne Trust Associate Director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, where she recently worked on The Snow Queen. She is also a co-founder of PowderHouse, the Company in Residence at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. Recent Directing credits include: Antigone (National Theatre Wales/ Sherman Theatre/ PowderHouse), The Invisible Woman (Wales Millennium Centre and tour), Saethu Cwnigod/Shooting Rabbits (Sherman Theatre and tour) and BLUE (Chippy Lane/Chapter Arts Centre). Currently Chelsey is on the script reading panel for both the Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award and The Other Room’s New Page programme. Chelsey is an Associate Director of Chippy Lane.    Written by Jonny Cotsen Directed by Chelsey Gillard Performed by Will Lewis Produced & Edited by Chippy Lane Productions Ltd. Music by Grand Tradition Captioning by Tom Bevan  This podcast has been kindly supported by The Carne Trust.

Transcript: "Why are all the arts leaders white?" "Well…" "Do I think that being a white man makes either getting my job, or some of the parts of my job, easier? Absolutely." (Lorne Campbell, National Theatre Wales) "I think it was simply a lack of awareness, "from my point of view, of the need to connect with those artists and the need to get those artists on to our stages." (Joe Murphy, Sherman Theatre) "I hope - I believe - that that’s not the way that I function; but I am in a moment, of course, where I’m challenging all of those things about myself." (Tamara Harvey, Theatr Clwyd) "Everyone was making the same sort of statement, and it was a conscious decision not to follow the path of everybody else." (Aidan Lang, Welsh National Opera) "Fi’n llawer iawn mwy ymwybodol o’r breintiau rheina sydd gandda i, er bod fi ddim yn falch - dw i ddim yn falch bo’ fi’n ddyn, dw i ddim yn falch bo’ fi’n wyn." (I’m a lot more more aware of the privileges that I have, even though I’m not proud - I’m not proud that I’m a man, I’m not proud that I’m white.)(Arwel Gruffydd, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru) "I don’t think we built enough trust historically anyway - I don’t think we lost it at any stage, I just think that we hadn’t built it enough." (Graeme Farrow, Wales Millennium Centre) Difficult conversations about white privilege and systemic racism in Wales. This is the Critically Speaking podcast, Season Two.

Welcome to Chippy Lane’s Podcast, series two the PICTURES / LLUNIAU PROJECT. This series celebrates Welsh and Wales-based writers and their stories. Each episode focuses on a new writer, a personal picture of theirs, and a story they want to share with you. So, sit back and enjoy.    Written & Performer: Connor Allen Since graduating from Trinity Saint David as an Actor, Newport born Connor has worked with many companies in Wales and beyond. He is a member of National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and was also the winner of Triforce’s Cardiff MonologueSlam. As a writer Connor has written for many companies such as Dirty Protest, National Theatre Wales and BBC Wales. Connor wrote Dom’s Drug Prayer for Sherman Theatre’s TEN / DEG series. He’s had an ACW funded debut play and two Literature Wales commissions. He’s also part of the BBC Wales Welsh Voices 19/20 and The Welsh Royal Court Writers Group.   Director: Keeley Lane Keeley is an actor and director from Yorkshire and trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. She is also Artistic Director of Buglight Theatre. Keeley is currently Assistant Director at Leeds Playhouse on Fairy Poppins and the Naughty Winter Ghost. Her other recent directing credits include: Radio plays- What’s your story? -Right up Our street, Audio drama- Scriptworks- Cast Theatre, Stage plays: Jack & The Beanstalk-Cre:8 Theatre, Delicate Flowers- Single  Story Theatre. She was also Associate Director with Ruth Carney on The Miami Showband Story written by Marie Jones & Martin Lynch with GBL productions.   Sound Designer: Charlie Foran Charlie is a graduate of the BA (Hons) Stage Management and Technical Theatre Course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. During that time, specialising in live sound engineering, theatrical sound design and recording. Charlie has worked on productions such as An Octoroon at The National and Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall. Alongside these productions, Charlie had worked on podcasts with Unheard Poetry on their Pride and Protest series and on Chippy Lane Productions (Samu(El)egy).   Written & Performed by Connor Allen Directed by Keeley Lane Sound Designer Charlie ForanProduced & Edited by Chippy Lane Productions Ltd. Music by Grand Tradition  This podcast has been kindly supported by The Carne Trust.

Mark Taubert, Clinical Director, Consultant Physician & Honorary Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine, talks to Sam Guglani about death, sadness, pain and loss in his work as a palliative care doctor, and about his own experience of - and feelings about - death. Mark founded TalkCPR and has a national lead role to improve public understanding on topics relevant to care in the last years of life and at the extreme ends of medicine. He has written about palliative care in The Washington Post, The Guardian, Quillette, Chicago Tribune, The Times, The Independent, The Big Issue, BBC News & HuffPost UK and appeared on BBC’s Horizon, ITV's BAFTA-winning Hospital of Hope. He has also engaged in cultural collaborations to promote debate about palliative care including ‘The Colours’, a West End show in London's Soho Theatre, a National Theatre Wales' production ‘As Long As The Heart Beats’ and has talked at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, at Hay Literary Festival and the Science Museum in London. He featured in two palliative care themed recordings for the BBC Listening Project and his posthumous letter to David Bowie, which discussed the importance of good end of life care, went viral and has been made into a touring classical music composition and has been publicly read by, amongst others, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jarvis Cocker in locations including New York, London, Hay-on-Wye, Edinburgh and Berlin. Executive producers: Sam Guglani, Peter Thomas Music: Butterfly Song by Jocelyn Pook, vocal by Melanie Pappenheim, from 'Untold Things', Real World Records, 2001. Permission courtesy of the composer. https://realworldrecords.com/releases/untold-things/

Welcome to Chippy Lane’s Podcast, series two the PICTURES / LLUNIAU PROJECT. This series celebrates Welsh and Wales-based writers and their stories. Each episode focuses on a new writer, a personal picture of there’s and a story they want to share with you. So, sit back and enjoy.    SASHAY AWAY Writer: Rhys Warrington Rhys is a writer and actor who grew up in Carmarthenshire is South West Wales and is now based in London. He trained as an actor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has worked extensively in theatre, both regionally and in the West End since he graduated in 2014. His acting credits include: ‘The Mousetrap’ (St Martin’s Theatre) 'Great Expectations’ (Vaudeville Theatre)  ‘Praxis Makes Perfect’ (NTW). As a writer his debut play BLUE  (★★★★ The Guardian) opened in January 2019 at Chapter Arts Centre. The play was produced by Chippy Lane Productions, a London based theatre company that champions Welsh work in and beyond Wales. Following BLUE Rhys has been working on a film with director Joe Stephenson (Chicken, Mckellen: Playing the Part) about the life of 70s Texan serial killer Dean Corll. Alongside this he has been working on new play ‘Fossils” with director Francesca Goodridge. Rhys is a creative associate of Chippy Lane and is published by Methuen.  Performer: Mari IzzardMari is an Actor/Writer from Bridgend, South Wales who trained at RWCMD. She loves telling stories that are full of heart and impacts social dialogue in some way. Credits include: Brian & Charles for Film4 & BFI, Comedy of Errors at Storyhouse/Grosvenor Open Air Theatre, Wolfie for National Theatre Wales, Lord of the Flies for Sherman Theatre/Theatr Clwyd, Pride & Prejudice for Regents Park Open Air Theatre, A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Gwaith/Cartref for S4C. In 2018 she became the inaugural winner of the Violet Burns Playwright Award and is one of the nominees for The Stage Debut Awards 2020 for Best Writer for her original bilingual play HELA. Director: Izzy Rabey Izzy is a Theatre Director, Applied Drama Facilitator (specialising in adolescent mental health and Autism) and Musician originally from Machynlleth in Mid-Wales. She co-founded Run Amok in 2013 with Jonathan Patton and since then has directed numerous productions for the company including a sell-out tour of 4:48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane (2014), Flowers of the Dead Red Sea by Ed Thomas (2014) and Hang by debbie tucker green (2017). Assistant Director credits include: Play/Silence (The Other Room Theatre, 2016), On Bear Ridge (National Theatre Wales/The Royal Court, 2019) and All of It by Alistair McDowall (The Royal Court, 2020). Izzy recently directed Wolfie by Ross Willis for National Theatre Wales’ 2020 ‘Network’ project. Izzy has worked on new writing as a director and applied theatre practitioner in association with Paines Plough, Theatr Clwyd and  Sherman Theatre. She is currently Trainee Director at The Royal Court and an Emerging Director with National Theatre Wales.   A PC  Writer & Performer: Paisley JacksonPaisley Jackson is a Newport Born, London and Wales based actor and writer, graduating from East15 BA Acting, winner of the Laurence Olivier Bursary, Listed by BBC England as a promising writer and represented by Redshaw Management. Paisley’s one woman play Celtic manners, had a two day sold out run at the Tristan Bates Theatre off the West end after winning the John thaw initiative; working class season in association with Actors Awareness, Enabling her to gain attention from various high end production companies in both TV and Theatre. She was Long Listed for the Pint Size Prize Bunker theatre, and reached the top 4% of the BBC England Writers room. Recent Credits Include: Ann Bony and Mary Read /Che Walker, Queens Theatre; Celtic Manners /written and performed by Paisley Jackson, Tristan Bates; Who run the World? /Chippy Lane Production for the Old Red Lion; The Massive /Rebecca Jade Hammond, London Welsh Centre & The Other Room; The Red Fiesta /Alan Harris, The Other Room; ‘COMMA’ TEN/ Kelly Jones, Sherman Theatre. Director: Lisa Diveney Lisa is a Welsh director and was Emerging Director at National Theatre of Wales in 2019. Director credits include Merry F**king Christmas Kids by Kelly Jones (Rapid Write Response,Theatre 503), rehearsed readings include Papatango’s WriteWest, Kath Chandler’s Bird (The Far Away Plays) and a lockdown monologue penned by Rick Allden, starring Andrea Hall, Be Careful What You Show (CompactsUK). Work in development includes plays by Kelly Jones and Michael Currell. Assistant Director credits include Shook (Papatango/Southwark Playhouse), For All I Care (NTW) and The Lucky Spot (RWCMD). She has also assisted on numerous workshops and readings, most recently for Chippy Lane Productions and The Far Away Plays. Lisa has worked extensively as an actor and voice over artist since training at RWCMD.  Produced & Edited by Chippy Lane Productions Ltd. Music by Grand Tradition This podcast is generously supported by The Carne Trust.

By Ed Thomas Remi wakes on a road with no memory of who she is or how she got there. A vivid exploration of identity and sanity from one of Wales' best living playwrights. Rakie Ayola, Richard Harrignton and Sian Phillips DBE lead the cast in this dark, immersive sonic fable about what it means to be human in 2020. It tells the story of Remi who must try to piece together the fragments of her mind, work out who she is… and what went wrong. Part of Radio 4's season of drama celebrating some of the most significant writers working in radio with 12 original pieces, On a Lost Highway is also the first audio drama production recorded in BBC Wales’ brand new headquarters in Cardiff's Central Square. Back in 1954 Dylan Thomas revolutionised the world of Radio Drama with the inaugural broadcast of Under Milk Wood. Now BBC Wales’ brand new Dylan Thomas Audio Drama Studio aims to take the medium in new and exciting directions. Though it’s been named in honour of the legendary Welsh poet, the studio looks to the future, not the past. The pace of change in audio is fast – podcasting has created a new frontier for audio innovation – and in their new home, BBC Audio Drama Wales aim to continue to push the evolution of the form. Ed Thomas is a playwright, director and producer whose award winning work has been widely distributed to over 100 countries. Most recently, Ed wrote and co directed On Bear Ridge at the Royal Court in a highly successful co-production with National Theatre Wales starring Rhys Ifans and Rakie Ayola. Ed is the founder and creative director of film and TV production company Fiction Factory and co-creator of the TV series Hinterland. His plays have toured all over the UK, Europe, Australia and South America and translated into more than 10 languages. Remi.... Rakie Ayola The Lover.... Richard Harrington Mother.... Sian Phillips The Stranger.... Valene Kane Johnny Grecco.... Ronan Summers Directed by James Robinson A BBC Cymru Wales Production

After the huge success of our Actor Awareness Q&A's over lockdown we have decided to start them up again!   Over lockdown we ran Q&A's with some incredible industry role models such as Vicky Mcclure, Danny Brocklehurst, Nickie Sault & Shane Meadows, alongside many more. We had over 1000 people attend virtually, so due to the success we are ready to run them again! Kicking us back off is John McGrath who is the Artistic Director of Manchester International Festival. We will be talking festival changes during a pandemic, creating new work, best way to stand out when applying for festivals & much more. Please send in any questions you want me to ask John to actorawareness1@gmail.com Here is John's Bio. John E. McGrath is Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Manchester International Festival. His first Festival in 2017 featured world premieres from leading international artists; a new digital direction for MIF; a series of participatory commissions in public spaces, and My Festival a year-round programme forging closer connections with Manchester communities. In 2019 John commissioned artists including Yoko Ono, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Idris Elba and Tania Bruguera to make work for the largest ever edition of MIF. John was previously Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales, where he achieved a reputation for large-scale site-specific work, digital innovation and extraordinary community involvement. As Chief Executive of MIF John will also be responsible for The Factory, a flagship cultural space currently being built in the heart of Manchester, which will have a year-round programme of new work from the world’s greatest artists, offering a space to make, explore and experiment.

Tara Arts is a London-based multicultural theatre company which has only had one artistic director, Jatinder Verma MBE, since it was formed in 1977 until he stepped down earlier this year. He will be replaced by Abdul Shayek, a director originally from East London who has spent the last nine years based in Cardiff, initially working with National Theatre Wales and for the last four years running Fio, a theatre company that he formed in 2016. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Abdul just after his appointment had been announced about his plans for Tara, running a multicultural theatre company in Cardiff, theatre as a tool for social change and a few of the many projects he currently has on the go or planned for the near future.

Welcome to Chippy Lane’s Podcast, series two the PICTURES / LLUNIAU PROJECT. This series celebrates Welsh and Wales-based writers and their stories. Each episode focuses on a new writer, a personal picture of there’s and a story they want to share with you. So, sit back and enjoy.    ‘FADED BY THE PIPS’ Written and performed by Rebecca Jade Hammond  Dedicated to Jacob (Jack) Hodgkinson  Writer/ Performer: Rebecca Jade Hammond Training Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Writing credits include: Advanced Playwriting course (National Theatre), top 5% Writers Room (BBC), shortlisted for Papatango (2018), co-writer of award-winning & Raindance finalist Web Comedy MIDNIGHTMIRACLE (Amazon Prime), literary reader for Hampstead Theatre, facilitator of Welsh Female Writers Group, Creator of BLUE (published by Methuen). Performing credited include: The Tuckers (BBC), Silent Witness (BBC), Doctors (BBC), Trollied (Sky One), MidnightMiracle (Amazon Prime), Confection (Misfit Films) Happiness Ltd (Plymouth Theatre Royal / Salisbury Playhouse), Love Steals Us From Loneliness (Chippy Lane / Chapter / Camden People’s Theatre), The Laramie Project (Lost Theatre), Heresies (Bristol Old Vic). Rebecca is Artistic Director of Chippy Lane Productions Ltd.    Director: Chelsey Gillard Chelsey is an Associate Director for Chippy Lane. She is also the Carne Trust Associate Director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and a co-founder of the multilingual devising company PowderHouse who are Company in Residence at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. Currently she is on the reading panel for the Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Prize. Recent Directing Credits include: ANTIGONE (Network Playreadings, National Theatre Wales, Sherman Theatre and PowderHouse), The Invisible Woman (Ailsa Jenkins with Wales Millennium Centre and Welsh tour), BLUE (Chippy Lane Productions), Saethu Cwingod/ Shooting Rabbits (PowderHouse with Sherman Theatre and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru). Written & Performed by Rebecca Jade Hammond Directed by Chelsey Gillard  Produced by Chippy Lane Productions Ltd. Music by Grand Tradition  With additional text from LUNG WATER by Jacob Hodgkinson  For more episodes subscribe to our podcast on Itunes, Spotify and our website www.chippylaneproductions.co.uk THIS PODCAST CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.

In the first episode of the series, Ciaran interviews emerging director Siobhan Lynn Brennan, since studying at the University of Warwick, Siobhan has worked with the Sherman Theatre as part of the JMK Directors scheme, and as an assistant on Alice in Wonderland in 2019. She also worked with Common Wealth in association with National Theatre Wales on 'We're Still Here!' in Port Talbot. Recently she has work as a facilitator with Mess up the Mess on their 'Hamlets' project at the Wales Millennium Centre, 

“Oes yna obaith? Oes!” At the last of Egin’s four Climate Conversations, we explored some inspiring examples of urgent, hopeful projects and approaches around the world. Featuring Andrew Simms and Ignasi Torrent, and performances from Rob Spaull and Charles Gershom. Podcast created by Lisa Heledd Jones for National Theatre Wales. Join the conversation using #ntwEgin. Egin was an artists’ residency which took place in Capel Curig, Snowdonia, devised to provoke fresh artistic responses to climate change. The Climate Conversations were facilitated by Lindsey Colbourne. National Theatre Wales, Wales’ English-language national theatre, uses our country’s diverse landscapes and wealth of talent as our inspiration. Our Creative Development department nurtures the bold ideas of theatre makers in Wales. Read more about us. Egin was delivered in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, with support from the National Trust, British Council Wales and Snowdonia National Park. Thanks to Gentle/Radical, whose Decolonizing Environmentalism symposium inspired thinking around speakers we invited. @NTWtweets Yn Sgwrs Hinsawdd olaf Egin, archwiliwyd rhai esiamplau ysbrydoledig o brosiectau a dulliau gobeithiol o gwmpas y byd. Gydag Andrew Simms a Ignasi Torrent, a pherfformiadau gan Rob Spaull a Charles Gershom. Crëwyd y podlediad hwn gan yr artist Lisa Heledd Jones ar ran National Theatre Wales. Preswylfa i artistiaid oedd Egin a ddyfeisiwyd i sbarduno ymatebion celfyddydol cyfoes i newid hinsawdd: i ddylanwadu gwaith newydd a dychmygu dyfodolau amgen. Gwahoddwyd ffigyrau ysbrydoledig i bedwar digwyddiad cyhoeddus i rannu syniadau ynglŷn â phedwar thema: TIR, ARIAN, GWRTHRYFEL a GOBAITH. Mae National Theatre Wales yn gweithio ledled Cymru gan ddefnyddio’n tirweddau, straeon a thalent fel ysbrydoliaeth. Mae’n adran Datblygu Creadigol yn magu syniadau eofn ein gwneuthurwyr theatr. Darllenwch fwy. Gwireddwyd Egin gyda Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, British Council Cymru a Pharc Cenedlaethol Eryri.

Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture This lecture contains strong language. Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture organised by the University's LGBT+ Advisory Group and the Equality and Diversity Unit. Louise has written and performed plays for National Theatre Wales, Contact, The Royal Exchange, Sydney Opera House, Red Ladder, Sheffield Crucible and BBC Radio 3 and 4, and an award winning one woman show on the wing of a WWII Shackleton aircraft in Manchester. Louise has undertaken writing residencies in Queensland and at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and is a BBC Contains Strong Language Poet in residence. Louise has achieved many accolades in her career but more recently her work to ‘make excellent art co-created with and for the people' was recognised when she was appointed as an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2018 for services to Spoken Word Music and outstanding achievement in the Community. Last year Louise won the Manchester Culture Award for Best Performance for her play Hidden which was created through a programme of public engagement and creative enquiry into the lived experience of young onset dementia.

Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture This lecture contains strong language. Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture organised by the University’s LGBT+ Advisory Group and the Equality and Diversity Unit. Louise has written and performed plays for National Theatre Wales, Contact, The Royal Exchange, Sydney Opera House, Red Ladder, Sheffield Crucible and BBC Radio 3 and 4, and an award winning one woman show on the wing of a WWII Shackleton aircraft in Manchester. Louise has undertaken writing residencies in Queensland and at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and is a BBC Contains Strong Language Poet in residence. Louise has achieved many accolades in her career but more recently her work to ‘make excellent art co-created with and for the people’ was recognised when she was appointed as an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018 for services to Spoken Word Music and outstanding achievement in the Community. Last year Louise won the Manchester Culture Award for Best Performance for her play Hidden which was created through a programme of public engagement and creative enquiry into the lived experience of young onset dementia.

“Mae’r olwyn yn troi, yn ara’ deg...” At the third of Egin's Climate Conversations, we discussed the power that rebellious actions can have when they are committed to the building of shared visions of the future. Featuring Asad Rehman, Executive Director of War on Want, with performances from The Marmaladies, Sioned Eleri Roberts and Katherine Betteridge. This podcast was created by artist Lisa Heledd Jones for National Theatre Wales. Join the conversation using #ntwEgin. Egin was an artists’ residency which took place in Capel Curig, Snowdonia, devised to provoke fresh artistic responses to climate change. The Climate Conversations - LAND/TIR, MONEY/ARIAN, REBELLION/GWRTHRYFEL and HOPE/GOBAITH - were facilitated by Nant Peris-based artist Lindsey Colbourne. National Theatre Wales, Wales’ English-language national theatre, uses our country’s diverse landscapes and wealth of talent as our inspiration. Our Creative Development department nurtures the bold ideas of theatre makers in Wales. Read more about what we do. Egin was delivered in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, with support from the National Trust, British Council Wales and Snowdonia National Park. Thanks to Gentle/Radical, whose Decolonizing Environmentalism symposium inspired thinking around speakers we invited. @NTWtweets Yn y trydydd Sgwrs Hinsawdd, trafodwyd y pŵer sydd gan weithredoedd gwrthryfelgar wrth adeiladu gweledigaeth gymunedol o’r dyfodol. Gydag Asad Rehman, a pherfformiadau gan The Marmaladies, Sioned Eleri Roberts a Katherine Betteridge. Crëwyd y podlediad hwn gan Lisa Heledd Jones ar ran National Theatre Wales. Preswylfa i artistiaid oedd Egin a ddyfeisiwyd i sbarduno ymatebion celfyddydol cyfoes i newid hinsawdd: i ddylanwadu gwaith newydd a dychmygu dyfodolau amgen. Gwahoddwyd ffigyrau ysbrydoledig i bedwar digwyddiad cyhoeddus i rannu syniadau ynglŷn â phedwar thema: TIR, ARIAN, GWRTHRYFEL a GOBAITH. Arweiniwyd y digwyddiadau gan yr artist Lindsey Colbourne. Mae National Theatre Wales yn gweithio ledled Cymru gan ddefnyddio’n tirweddau, straeon a thalent fel ysbrydoliaeth. Mae’n adran Datblygu Creadigol yn magu syniadau eofn ein gwneuthurwyr theatr. Darllenwch fwy am ein gwaith. Gwireddwyd Egin gyda Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, British Council Cymru a Pharc Cenedlaethol Eryri.

“Money is just one form of material exchange, one currency.” Featuring Rabab Ghazoul and Radha Patel of Gentle/Radical, and a performance by David Hopewell. This podcast was created by artist Lisa Heledd Jones for National Theatre Wales. Join the conversation using #ntwEgin. Egin was an artists’ residency devised to provoke fresh artistic responses to climate change: seeking to inspire new practice, possible futures, and sustainable approaches to living. For the public Climate Conversations, we invited inspiring people working locally, nationally and internationally to share thinking in relation to the focus for each evening: LAND, MONEY, REBELLION, HOPE. The Climate Conversations were facilitated by Nant Peris-based artist, Lindsey Colbourne. National Theatre Wales, Wales’ English-language national theatre, uses our diverse landscapes, incredible stories and wealth of talent as our inspiration. Its Creative Development department nurtures the bold ideas of theatre makers in Wales, working to enrich our nation’s thriving theatre community. Read more about our work. Egin was delivered in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, with support from the National Trust, British Council Wales and Snowdonia National Park. Special thanks to Gentle/Radical, whose Decolonising Environmentalism symposium inspired thinking around speakers we invited. @NTWtweets Ail Sgwrs Hinsawdd Egin, gyda Rabab Ghazoul a Radha Patel o Gentle/Radical, a pherfformiad gan David Hopewell. Crëwyd y podlediad hwn gan yr artist Lisa Heledd Jones ar ran National Theatre Wales. Preswylfa i artistiaid oedd Egin a ddyfeisiwyd i sbarduno ymatebion celfyddydol cyfoes i newid hinsawdd: i ddylanwadu gwaith newydd a dychmygu dyfodolau amgen. Gwahoddwyd ffigyrau ysbrydoledig i bedwar digwyddiad cyhoeddus i rannu syniadau ynglŷn â phedwar thema: TIR, ARIAN, GWRTHRYFEL a GOBAITH. Mae National Theatre Wales yn gweithio ledled Cymru a thu hwnt gan ddefnyddio’n tirweddau, straeon a thalent fel ysbrydoliaeth. Mae’n adran Datblygu Creadigol yn magu syniadau eofn gwneuthurwyr theatr yng Nghymru. Darllenwch fwy am ein gwaith. Gwireddwyd Egin mewn partneriaeth â Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, gyda chefnogaeth gan yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, British Council Cymru a Pharc Cenedlaethol Eryri. Gyda diolch arbennig i Gentle/Radical, a ddylanwadodd rhaglennu’r digwyddiadau gyda’u symposiwm Decolonising Environmentalism.

“We can’t solve it with the same brain that created it.” At the first of Egin’s four Climate Conversations, we discussed land rights and our collective relationships to landscapes’ histories. Featuring Suzanne Dhaliwal and Aaron Thierry, with music from Eve Goodman. This podcast was created by artist Lisa Heledd Jones for National Theatre Wales. Join the conversation using #ntwEgin. Egin was an artists’ residency devised to provoke fresh artistic responses to climate change: seeking to inspire new practice, possible futures, and sustainable approaches to living. For the public Climate Conversations, we invited inspiring people working locally, nationally and internationally to share thinking in relation to the focus for each evening: LAND, MONEY, REBELLION, HOPE. The Climate Conversations were facilitated by Nant Peris-based artist, Lindsey Colbourne. National Theatre Wales, Wales’ English-language national theatre, works all over the country, and beyond, using its diverse landscapes, incredible stories and wealth of talent as our inspiration. Its Creative Development department nurtures the bold ideas of theatre makers in Wales, working to enrich our nation’s thriving theatre community. Read more about our work. Egin was delivered in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, with support from the National Trust, British Council Wales and Snowdonia National Park. Special thanks to Gentle/Radical, whose Decolonising Environmentalism symposium inspired thinking around speakers we invited. @NTWtweets Yn Sgwrs Hinsawdd cyntaf Egin, trafodwyd hawliau a hanesion tirweddau. Gyda Suzanne Dhaliwal ac Aaron Thierry, a cherddoriaeth Eve Goodman. Crëwyd y podlediad hwn gan yr artist Lisa Heledd Jones ar ran National Theatre Wales. Preswylfa i artistiaid oedd Egin a ddyfeisiwyd i sbarduno ymatebion celfyddydol cyfoes i newid hinsawdd: i ddylanwadu gwaith newydd a dychmygu dyfodolau amgen. Gwahoddwyd ffigyrau ysbrydoledig i bedwar digwyddiad cyhoeddus i rannu syniadau ynglŷn â phedwar thema: TIR, ARIAN, GWRTHRYFEL a GOBAITH. Mae National Theatre Wales yn gweithio ledled Cymru a thu hwnt gan ddefnyddio’n tirweddau, straeon a thalent fel ysbrydoliaeth. Mae’n adran Datblygu Creadigol yn magu syniadau eofn gwneuthurwyr theatr yng Nghymru. Darllenwch fwy am ein gwaith. Gwireddwyd Egin mewn partneriaeth â Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, gyda chefnogaeth gan yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, British Council Cymru a Pharc Cenedlaethol Eryri. Gyda diolch arbennig i Gentle/Radical, a ddylanwadodd rhaglennu’r digwyddiadau gyda’u symposiwm Decolonising Environmentalism.

This episode's guest is Chloë Clarke. Chloë is a performer and theatre director with a specialist knowledge of audio description and its creative integration into theatre, arts and film. Chloë is visually impaired and throughout her career has been committed to creating work that is inherently accessible, challenging work that isn't and helping others find creative solutions to address the many barriers put up by a rigid society. She is co-founder of Elbow Room Theatre in Cardiff, a disabled led company that produces new writing with accessibility considered from the outset and has collaborated with the likes of the National Theatre Wales, the Royal Exchange and Warner Brothers. Recored at the Graeae Theatre, Hoxton, London.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stevexoh)

Brittany Howard is the frontwoman for the phenomenally successful American blues rock band Alabama Shakes. She joins us to discuss her first solo album, Jaime, which is dedicated to her sister who died at a young age. Brittany talks about the inspirations behind the album: from her sister’s memory to an appalling racist attack that happened to her family when she was only a few weeks old. Malory Towers, Enid Blyton's series of novels about the boarding school her own daughter attended, was published 70 years ago, but how accurate is its portrayal of boarding school life? Novelists William Boyd and Robin Stevens - both of whom went to boarding school and have written stories set in them - talk to Stig Abell about the way boarding schools have been presented in literature and in film. On Bear Ridge is a new play set in the Welsh mountains near Swansea, where an old butcher and his wife struggle to survive after some kind of catastrophe has affected the wider world. Its a co-production between National Theatre Wales and the Royal Court. Stig talks to writer Ed Thomas, whose previous work includes the hit Welsh TV police series Hinterland. Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Hilary Dunn

Welcome | Croeso to Chippy Lane's Podcast, ON BEAR RIDGE SPECIAL. This project is a very important collaboration between National Theatre Wales and Royal Court Theatre in London. It is a significant moment in Welsh Theatre history as we rarely get to tell our stories beyond Wales. Let alone in the mecca of Theatre world on the best stage for new writing at The Royal Court. Chippy Lane wanted to mark this moment by creating this special podcast to celebrate this achievement and gain further insight into this important production. Produced and Hosted by Rebecca Jade Hammond Title Music: Composition for On Bear Ridge by John Hardy MusicInterviews Include: Ed Thomas, Sion Daniel Young, Rakie Ayola, Izzy Rabey, John Hardy, Tic Ashfield and Martha Wilson. Recorded at Sherman Theatre, National Theatre Wales HQ and Chapter.  Buy tickets for the show at www.royalcourt.com and www.shermantheatre.co.uk  More episodes can be found at www.chippylaneproductions.co.uk

Strictly Come Dancing Head Judge Shirley Ballas describes her approach as fun, firm, feisty but fair. As one of the couples comes ever closer to raising this year's glitter-ball trophy she talks about her own background in dance, dismisses the “curse” of Strictly and explains why she thinks the show has such appeal to young, old and everyone in between.Sarah Jenkins, who recently won the BBC Proms Inspire competition for young composers, talks about her new piece, inspired by the winter solstice. And the Sun Stood Still is being premiered by the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Southbank Centre on 5 December and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. The current criticisms aimed at National Theatre Wales, that neither their productions nor their casts are Welsh enough, echo the criticisms that the National Theatre of Scotland faced a few years ago. Joyce McMillan, theatre critic for The Scotsman, and Dr Emma Schofield, associate editor of Wales Art Review discuss what it means to be a national theatre.Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Julian May

Welcome to Chippy Lane's Podcast, series one.  This podcast is a celebration of Welsh and Wales-based creatives. These interviewees have been nominated by other creatives because of the buzz and impact they are making within the arts in and beyond Wales.  This final interview of series one is with Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales, Kully Thiarai.  Produced & hosted by Rebecca Jade Hammond Introduction by Rebecca GouldMusic By Grand Tradition Recorded at National Theatre Wales, Cardiff www.chippylaneproductions.co.uk 

In Theatr Clywd's new production of William Golding's classic novel Lord of the Flies, the group of schoolboys stranded on a remote island have all been reimagined as girls. Critic Gary Raymond reviews.Forty playwrights and actors have accused National Theatre Wales of favouring English artists and companies over Welsh ones. In an open letter on the Wales Arts Review website, the Welsh artists also claim that the company is staging too few productions and say that non-Welsh artists and companies should only be engaged to support Welsh or Wales-based artists. Gary Raymond, editor of the Wales Arts Review, and Kully Thiarai, Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales, discuss the issues.From John Cage's controversial composition 4'33”, a three-act movement where no sound is made, to the Rothko Chapel in Texas, a place for contemplation housing 14 of the artist's large, dark paintings, silence has had a significant place in culture. Actor and director Simon McBurney, conductor Jeremy Summerly, and art critic Charlotte Mullins consider the use and importance of silence in theatre, music and art.Berta Isla is the latest novel by Javier Marías, Spain's most celebrated contemporary writer. Critic Alex Clark explains its place in the context of the author's body of work.Presenter: Janina Ramirez Producer: Hannah Robins

Hywel John grew up in West Wales, and London. He attended Bristol University and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After initially coming to New York in 2008 as an actor, appearing in Rupert Goold’s production of Macbeth—alongside Sir Patrick Stewart—Hywel moved to the United States permantly in 2014 to further his career as a playwright and screenwriter. His plays have been professionally staged all around the world: in Wales, Edinburgh, Finland, Denmark, New York and London. The London Evening Standard has called Hywel’s work “a gem”, while The Guardian has compared his work to that of Harold Pinter. Hywel currenlty splits his time between New York, Alabama and Wales, while working on a commission for National Theatre Wales, entitled ‘The Wales Window’. On this episode, Richard and Gideon sit down with Hywel to discuss his New York journey from budding actor to transatlantic playwright.

Panel session "What is Wales' soft power capital?"  From the IWA & British Council event on Thursday 26th April 2018 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.  - Chair: Carole Green, Business Correspondent, ITV Cymru Wales  - Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales  - Roger Lewis, Chairman, Cardiff Airport  - Kully Thiarai, Artistic Director, National Theatre Wales  - Professor Iwan Davies, Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor, Swansea University and Chair, Global Wales

Sisters is an all-female, work-in-progress, by British-South Asian and Indian artists, which explores what it means to be a South Asian woman in the UK/Wales and India/Mumbai today. Sisters is a collaboration between National Theatre Wales and Junoon Theatre Mumbai, and is part of India Wales, a major season of artistic collaboration between the two countries to mark the UK-India Year of Culture and is supported by British Council Wales, the Arts Council of Wales and Wales Arts International. In this podcast, our Associate Editor, Durre Shahwar (Community Engagement Associate for Sisters) speaks to some of the cast and creative team members behind the project, including Kully Thiarai (Artistic Director, National Theatre Wales), Sameera Iyengar (Contributing Artist, Junoon),  and Sapan Saran (Writer).

Abdul Shayek is the Artistic Director and founder of Fio, a Cardiff-based theatre company that works across the UK and internationally, telling stories that tackle global socio-political topics and bringing them to local audiences. Fio’s mission is to diversify the public arts sector by working creatively with people from a range of different backgrounds, ethnicities, class, experience, religion, age, and so on. Abdul has also worked as a Creative Associate at National Theatre Wales where he developed the democratically elected ‘Assembly’ programme and produced their Research and Development strand amongst other things, he also set up the Youth Arts Network. Wales Arts Review associate editor Durre Shahwar caught up with Abdul amidst rehearsals of their highly acclaimed production, The Mountaintop, which will be touring Wales throughout October 2017, starting with a free Launch and Race Awareness Event in the Sennedd on 2nd October. Here, Abdul and Durre talk about the upcoming tour, diversity in the arts, and Fio’s Artistic Development and Participatory Arts Programmes, tying in with their three working strands: Productions, Projects and People.

*This podcast was included in The Stage newspaper's best podcasts of 2017!* "As a young Asian woman, my experience was that so little was expected of you and so little was offered to you that you had to fight for everything." Rebecca Atkinson-Lord continues her series of conversations with the leading figures in UK theatre around the idea of legacy. This week she talks to Kully Thiarai, artistic director of National Theatre Wales, who explores what it means to run a theatre that represents an entire nation, particularly post-Brexit. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anne Applebaum talks to Anne McElvoy about Russian nationalism and Ukrainian history in a programme exploring the importance of borders and the way identities are bound up with a sense of place. Nick Tandavanitj and Rhiannon White discuss creating drama out of the specific histories of Hull and Port Talbot. St John Simpson, curator of a British Museum exhibition devoted to a nomadic culture of antiquity, explains the ethos of the Scythians. Anne Applebaum is a Professor at LSE and a columnist for The Washington Post. Her new book is called Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine and covers the period from 1917 to the present.Rhiannon White is co-artistic director of Common Wealth which is staging We're Still Here in Port Talbot at the Byass Works, Dock Road between 15 - 30 September in conjunction with National Theatre Wales. It's 6 years since they staged The Passion there. Nick Tandavanitj has worked with Blast Theory since 1994. 2097:We Made Ourselves Over comprises five short science fiction films – each accompanied by an interactive film for smartphones – and live events across both Hull and Aarhus. Scythians: warriors of ancient Siberia runs at the British Museum from 14 September 2017 – 14 January 2018. Producer: Torquil MacLeod

The value of the arts is a constant and vital question in contemporary culture. In Locating the Audience: How People Found Value in National Theatre Wales (Intellect Books, 2016) Kirsty Sedgman, British Academy Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, approaches this question from the point of view of the audience. The book offers an introduction to the question of what an audience is, as well as thinking through the best methods to study the audience, before turning to the story of National Theatre Wales (NTW). The book discusses the tensions between aesthetics and participation, using places and performances from NTW to illustrate the range of responses, and the range of value, that different types of audience can derive from theatre. An engaging and accessible introduction to both the theoretical and practical questions surrounding cultural value, measurement, audiences, and theatre, the book will interest a range of humanities and social science scholars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The value of the arts is a constant and vital question in contemporary culture. In Locating the Audience: How People Found Value in National Theatre Wales (Intellect Books, 2016) Kirsty Sedgman, British Academy Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, approaches this question from the point of view of the audience. The book offers an introduction to the question of what an audience is, as well as thinking through the best methods to study the audience, before turning to the story of National Theatre Wales (NTW). The book discusses the tensions between aesthetics and participation, using places and performances from NTW to illustrate the range of responses, and the range of value, that different types of audience can derive from theatre. An engaging and accessible introduction to both the theoretical and practical questions surrounding cultural value, measurement, audiences, and theatre, the book will interest a range of humanities and social science scholars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The value of the arts is a constant and vital question in contemporary culture. In Locating the Audience: How People Found Value in National Theatre Wales (Intellect Books, 2016) Kirsty Sedgman, British Academy Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, approaches this question from the point of view of the audience. The book offers an introduction to the question of what an audience is, as well as thinking through the best methods to study the audience, before turning to the story of National Theatre Wales (NTW). The book discusses the tensions between aesthetics and participation, using places and performances from NTW to illustrate the range of responses, and the range of value, that different types of audience can derive from theatre. An engaging and accessible introduction to both the theoretical and practical questions surrounding cultural value, measurement, audiences, and theatre, the book will interest a range of humanities and social science scholars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The value of the arts is a constant and vital question in contemporary culture. In Locating the Audience: How People Found Value in National Theatre Wales (Intellect Books, 2016) Kirsty Sedgman, British Academy Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, approaches this question from the point of view of the audience. The book offers an introduction to the question of what an audience is, as well as thinking through the best methods to study the audience, before turning to the story of National Theatre Wales (NTW). The book discusses the tensions between aesthetics and participation, using places and performances from NTW to illustrate the range of responses, and the range of value, that different types of audience can derive from theatre. An engaging and accessible introduction to both the theoretical and practical questions surrounding cultural value, measurement, audiences, and theatre, the book will interest a range of humanities and social science scholars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The value of the arts is a constant and vital question in contemporary culture. In Locating the Audience: How People Found Value in National Theatre Wales (Intellect Books, 2016) Kirsty Sedgman, British Academy Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, approaches this question from the point of view of the audience. The book offers an introduction to the question of what an audience is, as well as thinking through the best methods to study the audience, before turning to the story of National Theatre Wales (NTW). The book discusses the tensions between aesthetics and participation, using places and performances from NTW to illustrate the range of responses, and the range of value, that different types of audience can derive from theatre. An engaging and accessible introduction to both the theoretical and practical questions surrounding cultural value, measurement, audiences, and theatre, the book will interest a range of humanities and social science scholars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux discusses his new film My Scientology Movie, Jimmy Savile, and his particular documentary-making style.To celebrate National Poetry Day, PJ Harvey, Daljit Nagra and Holly McNish will each be introducing and reading a new poem each for Front Row.Sara Lloyd from the Welsh-language National Theatre Wales, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, and Thomas Cloarec from Breton company Teatr Piba discuss their collaboration on a new play. Merch yr Eog (The Salmon's Daughter) is performed in Welsh, Breton, French and Creole and translated for the audience through a smartphone app. Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer Marilyn Rust.

On December 31st 2015, John McGrath, artistic director and co-founder of National Theatre Wales, steps down from the post after seven years at the forefront of what many regard as the first age of a new theatrical tradition in the country. In this exclusive interview for the FMIC podcast, McGrath talks openly about the early days of NTW, about the vision for the type of national theatre the company would be, the obstacles and triumphs along the way, and the qualified hope he has for a vibrant future for Wales' creative figures.

Writer Rachel Trezise discusses Cosmic Latte, her current collection of short fiction stories. Rachel won the Dylan Thomas Prize in 2006 and her first full length play, Tonypandemonium, was staged by National Theatre Wales in autumn 2013 and won ‘Best Production in the English Language’ at the Theatre Critics of Wales Awards in early 2014.

A long-distance motorcycle rider who has ridden solo around the world, Lois Pryce is a co-founder of the Adventure Travel Film Festival. Her first trip was from Alaska to Buenos Aires and since then she has travelled across Africa from Tunis to Cape Town and has just returned from Brazil where she led an all women team of motorcyclists. She also plays banjo in a bluegrass band called 'The Jolenes' who are performing at the festival. 'The Adventure Travel Film Festival' runs from August 17th-20th in Sherborne, Dorset. Clive Stafford Smith is a lawyer specialising in defending people accused of the most serious crimes. He's also the founder and director of Reprieve. Based in the US for 26 years, he now works from the UK where he continues to defend prisoners on Death Row. In his book 'Injustice' he examines the case of Kris Maharaj who has been on Death Row for 25 years. 'Injustice' is published by Harvill Secker. Christos Tsirogiannis is a forensic archaeologist who investigates the theft of antiquities from ancient sites and museums. For several years Christos was the only archaeologist working for the Greek Police Art Squad in his native Athens. Now based at Cambridge University, he says the plundering of ancient artefacts is increasing as countries with the richest archaeological heritage are sinking further into financial crisis. Nick Phillips is starring in In Water I'm Weightless performed by National Theatre Wales as part of the London 2012 Festival. Nick was a trained dancer who broke his back in an accident 15 years ago and now uses a wheelchair. Taking a provocative look at the body and disability, In Water I'm Weightless is performed by a cast of six actors and dancers with disabilities. In Water I'm Weightless is at the Cardiff Millennium Centre July 26th-August 4th. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Tom Payne speaks to Kaite O'Reilly about her new version of 'The Persians' by Aeschylus. A National Theatre Wales production, directed by Mike Pearson.

Tom Payne speaks with National Theatre Wales actor Laura Thomas about her first professional role in 'For Mountain, Sand and Sea'

Tom Payne speaks to Stefan Kaegi about the Eisteddfod and the forthcoming collaboration between Rimini Protokoll and National Theatre Wales.

Tom Payne speaks with Kully Thiarai about her forthcoming project with National Theatre Wales, The Soul Exchange.

Tom Payne speaks with Helgard Haug about the forthcoming National Theatre Wales collaboration with her theatre company, Rimini Protokoll.

Tom Payne speaks with Daniel Wetzel, one third of Rimini Protokoll, about their plans for National Theatre Wales and Aberystwyth in February of 2011.

Tom Payne speaks with Lucy Davies, producer for National Theatre Wales, about Rimini Protokoll and NTW's expectations for the their planned collaboration in 2011.

Created on the eve of the opening of National Theatre Wales. The destination is Blackwood miners institute and the show is 'A Good Night Out in the Valleys'.

Tom Payne speaks with Anwen Jones, author of 'National Theatres in Context', about the newly formed National Theatre Wales and its opening year.