The Best of Welsh Drama, Music and Food at Theatr Brycheiniog this Spring!
Spring marks that start of a new year, and an exciting new period for Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon’s centre for the arts and entertainment. This Spring the theatre yet again celebrates the talent that exists within its local community, with so many local people of all ages experiencing their moment in the spotlight. There will also be the opportunity to experience big name musicians and comedians, award winning drama, fascinating talks, high quality live screenings and feel good family shows. Theatr Brycheiniog truly has something to tempt everyone to their seats in 2019!
The Spring programme celebrates Wales in all its glory, beginning on St David’s Day with a very special concert from The Band of the Welsh Guards. Talented musicians Blackweir Brass and The Kelly Sisters from The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama showcase their musicality as the classical music series Brecon Bites evolves; and Welsh rugby fans will not want to miss drama Grav, based on the legendary Ray Gravell. Mid Wales Opera present a new interpretation of Puccini’s Tosca, and there are two high quality Welsh language productions; Pen-blwydd Poenus Pete for young audiences and Welsh learners, and Dau, an adaption of a Jim Cartwright classic.
Opening the Spring Season in January is The Westenders, who are celebrating their 70th anniversary with a spellbinding adaption of Sleeping Beauty (Sat 19 – Sat 26). The first Live Screening from the Royal Opera House will be Verdi’s La Traviata (Wed 30), and from National Theatre Live comes I’m Not Running (Thu 31) which follows doctor Pauline Gibson, the inspiring leader of a local health campaign.
February welcomes Brecknock Young Farmers’ Club (Mon 4 – Sat 9) with their incredibly popular Entertainment and One Plus Festival, which sells out every year! Blackweir Brass (Thu 14) will cover everything from Baroque to Contemporary in the first recital in partnership with The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; and The Royal Ballet’s Don Quixote (Tue 19) is a sparkling ballet about the encounters of a man from La Mancha. Gareth John-Bale stars in one-man show Grav (Wed 20), a show about an actor, cultural icon, father and husband, whose life is packed full of stories that deserve to be heard once more. 2019 marks the 22nd year of the Rorke’s Drift Concert (Sat 23), and the 140th anniversary of the battle. As a result the concert promises to incorporate some rather unique twists… Rounding off the month will be an Encore of The Tragedy of King Richard the II (Mon 25) from National Theatre Live, as the ambitious Bolingbroke challenges the throne and the irresponsible and foolish king’s right to rule!
March at Theatr Brycheiniog begins with a celebratory St David’s Day concert from the Band of the Welsh Guards (Fri 1), who arrive direct from duties at Buckingham Palace. Theatre shows include Into the Light (Sat 2), a daring physical theatre piece about the right to be seen and heard by a cast of performers with learning difficulties; peeling (Thu 14) featuring Alfa, Beattie and Coral who’s words have been buried in dust and time. The show will include BSL, captions and Audio Description. Author Tim Marshall (Wed 6) will give a talk on his book ‘Divided: Why we’re living in an age of walls’; for International Women’s Day there is an evening of speech, image and film titled Women Talking (Fri 8); and Prys Morgan will give a talk on county historian Theophilus Jones for the 22nd Sir John Lloyd Memorial Lecture (Fri 22). High quality musical work will come from Mid Wales Opera as power and passion collide in Puccini’s Tosca (Sat 9); and folk due Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman (Thu 21) will perform self-penned songs from new album ‘Personae.’ More music will come from returning faces Barry Steele: The Roy Orbison Story (Sat 16) and The Fureys (Wed 27). School pupils are invited to come along to Pen-blwydd Poenus Pete (Mon 11), a sparkling comedy about Dad’s birthday which features a very mischievous cat; One Small Step… (Mon 18) an interactive show from Mid Wales Music Trust and Sinfonia Cymru; and Pinocchio (Tue 19), the much loved story about a disobedient and naiive boy who loves adventures. Drama audiences will love Drip Drip Drip (Sat 23), a break-neck, darkly comic and taboo-busting journey through an NHS phantasmagoria. Also returning this March is BANFF (Wed 13), an evening of extraordinary short films; Encore Dance (Mon 25), who for the first time will feature pupils from Tring Park’s musical theatre courses; and by very popular demand, Rich Hall (Fri 29) for the second leg of his Hoedown tour!
There are two Royal Opera House live screening’s taking place in April, La Forza Del Destino (Tue 2) an opera of obsession, vengeance and tragedy, and Faust (Tue 30) which will transport audiences to Paris in the decadent and elegant 1870s.The South Powys Youth Orchestra will take to the stage as part of 2019’s South Powys Youth Music Gala (Wed 3); and harp duo the Kelly Sisters (Wed 24) will perform the second concert of the season in partnership with The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Music lovers won’t want to miss Faith (Fri 12), a feel good show celebrating one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time, George Michael; and a cast of leading performers from London’s west end invite you to The West End at the Movies (Sun 14)! Spring Season’s Welsh language drama comes from RCT Theatres and Dau (Thu 18), a razor sharp drama set in a pub following its landlord and landlady. This Easter families will love Coreo Cymru’s free Family Dance Festival (Sat 20), and The Girl with the Incredibly Long Hair (Fri 26 & Sat 27) which re-imagines the story of Rapunzel for our times.
Theatr Brycheiniog’s monthly favourites will continue into Spring Season. Talks from The Arts Society Brecknock which take place on the second Tuesday of the month will cover the topics The Origins of the Tudor Rose with Jonathan Foyle (12 Feb), The Chair- 2000 Years of Sitting Down with Marc Allum (12 Mar) and Leonardo- Anatomical Mindfulness with Daniel Evans (9 Apr). Comedy Club continues in its last Friday of the month slot, with this season’s comedians including Stuart Goldsmith & Huge Davies (25 Jan), Catherine Bohart & Edd Hedges (22 Feb) and Adam Hess & Garrett Millerick (26 Apr).
The Andrew Lamont Gallery will continue to house diverse and high quality exhibitions in 2019. The first of which, Portrait of a Farming Community (17 Jan – 24 Feb), showcases the work of local veterinarian Robin Baldwin who has photographed a number of local farmers and their families. The second exhibition, Celebrating Women in the Outdoors (28 Feb – 24 Mar), coincides with Brecon Women’s Festival and features women doing both ordinary and extraordinary things. The final exhibition of Spring comes from Tessa Waite, with Wild Things (21 Mar – 23 Apr). For this exhibition Tessa makes an enquiry into our relationship with wildness, in nature and within ourselves and explores this theme with large scale constructions, handmade books and installations.
Theatr Brycheiniog will continue to offer a range of classes and activities throughout spring, including Mid Wales Dance Academy, Chorus Line, Brecon Town Band, University of the Third Age and Pilates classes. The theatre has partnered with Beat It Percussion to offer more participatory, Dementia friendly, music making sessions for older people, Drums for All, which will run fortnightly on Monday’s from 21 January. After such a successful Autumn the Lunchtime Uplift Choir Sessions, run by Tanya Walker of Alive & Kicking Choir will continue, with the sessions extended by an extra half an hour. New for Spring are Taiko Taster Sessions run by Taiko Mynydd Du. The monthly sessions, starting in March will leave you energized and uplifted by the rhythms and body movements of Taiko.
The Waterfront continues to open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, light bites and coffee. Evening food service is available on show evenings, but booking a table and pre-ordering is strongly recommended. To book a table, contact the theatre’s Box Office directly on 01874 611622.
For any details on performances, activities or anything else, please visit brycheiniog.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01874 611622.
