MID Powys Youth Theatre’s production ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ has seen record ticket sales for the company in 10 years with every show either selling out or coming very close to it. The response from local people has been amazing.
Robyn Lewis, the head of drama at Calon Cymru, had this to say following the schools matinee: “I loved it and had so much great feedback from the kids on the way back to school. Tight choreography, beautiful singing, funny and spine-tingling moments. Well done cast and crew!”
The production marked the centenary of the end of World War one. Mid Powys Youth Theatre have undergone a huge amount of research and used lots of material about local experiences of the war within the production. Local people have shared the stories and photographs of their grandparents to help the young actors with their research. The company combed the war time editions of the Brecon and Radnor to help them find out more about wartime Powys- with local news headlines from the time and local photographs projected during the show. They say that most of them have shed a good few tears imagining what these men did and the tragedy of the losses and life-long damage suffered by so many. Sue Best at the Willow Globe said “congratulations to all involved! To the fabulous Cast and Crew, to the glorious acting team, to Kama and Rosie on wonderful staging and singing, and your choreographer tremendous, and all the design elements – costumes and set, those touching Brecon & Radnorshire local stories projected behind – just terrific... the BAND a blooming marvel .... so great, very moving, and you kept the pace flowing from moment to moment really cleverly. It must have been amazing for the Cast to rehearse and realise the implications of that horrific time......and how timely – after the last night on Sat 10th we will be round the clock in Rhayader on Sunday 11th morning in tears with the Last Post and remembering it all...thanks for a great evening. It’s truly lovely to see something coming together so beautifully”
One member, Nia Bolland, had this to say about her experience of being in Mid Powys Youth Theatre, as a closing note before she prepares for university:
“Over the past couple of months I have not only had the ridiculously rare, special, extraordinary opportunity of being involved in a full-scale, professionally led, commercially appealing, properly researched, beautifully designed, and emotionally affecting youth theatre performance, but I’ve developed a greater understanding of a tragedy the scale of which I am very unlikely to ever experience….Mid Powys Youth Theatre has changed everything about me for the better time after time. It’s done the same thing for so many others I know (and so many I don’t).”
New members between 14-24 are warmly welcomed to the company. They have workshops every Tuesday at the Celf-o-Gwmpas building from 7pm-9-30pm. Please email [email protected] for more details.