|
|
|
|
Articles
|
|
|
Articles |
Welsh Theatre - Theatr CymraegDateline: 21st January, 2001 The Welsh national anthem (Land of My Fathers in English: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau in Welsh) has a chorus which shows one of the perennial concerns of the Welsh and their theatre: Gwlad! Gwlad! pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, The importance of the Welsh language to the Welsh cannot be underestimated. It is the symbol of their nationhood, far more than Gaelic is to the Scots. No matter where you go in Wales, you'll find road signs in both languages: Cardiff and Caerdydd, Swansea and Abertawe, Welshpool and Trallwng. There are still small areas where English is very definitely the second language and in many parts of the country it is impossible to get a teaching job unless you speak Welsh. So it isn't surprising that there has long been some resentment that Wales has not had a national theatre of the Welsh language, and in some quarters even more that the theatre which is usually called the Welsh National Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, is, in spite of its Welsh name, a theatre that works in English. However no one can deny the quality of the work produced by this company, which is directed by Terry Hands, formerly of the RSC, and it is well worth the trip to Mold to see what they do. Mold, by the way, is not very far within the Welsh border. In fact, as the crow flies it is only about 12 miles from Chester and just about twenty from Liverpool, although you would have to cross the Dee estuary and the Mersey! It is not a Welsh-speaking area. It is, in fact, the west of Wales where you find most Welsh speakers: the eastern side has, over the centuries, developed as a kind of buffer zone between Wales and England and the area bordering on England is what in medieval times was called the Welsh Marches. Towns like Mold, in fact, are indistinguishable from towns in England. As you go further west, everything becomes more Welsh. That's unlike Scotland where, as you cross the border, you realise that you are in a different country: the style of the houses changes (the older houses, that is: modern housing is pretty much the same everywhere!) and the place simply has a different feel to it. Crossing into Wales, the change is more gradual. However, once you arrive in the "real" Wales, you have an even stronger sense of being in a foreign country. It's not just the road-signs: it's the street names, notices in shops and outside chapels, even police cars. In many parts of Wales you'll see "Heddlu" rather than "Police" on the sides of the cars. And you'll hear Welsh spoken in the streets and in the shops. You'll find chapels where the services are conducted in Welsh, and you'll even still come across a typically Welsh form of entertainment, the Cymanfa Ganu, Community Hymn-singing, where the old Welsh hymns - Cwm Rhondda, Calon Lân, Marchog Jesu, Diolch I'r Iôr - are sung fervently, enthusiastically and very tunefully. But what, you may ask, has this got to do with theatre? To understand a nation's theatre, you must understand its people, and you won't understand the Welsh people unless you recognise the importance of the language and the influence of the non-conformist chapels. And there are two other influences to add. First is the Welsh bardic tradition. Poetry is important and the crowning of the best bard is still the culmination of the Eisteddford, a kind of national poetry and music festival. Whilst eisteddfordau - and, for that matter, the famous Welsh male voice choirs - are nineteenth century creations, they are a reflection of the importance of music and poetry in Welsh culture. And the fourth important influence? Rugby of course! Where once St David's (Ty Ddewi) was an important place of pilgrimage in medieval times, now it's Cardiff Arms Park, and no one who has ever been on its terraces during an international match can ever forget the atmosphere, especially if Wales wins (something that hasn't been too common in recent seasons!). NEXT>> Mold and Cardiff Articles Indices: |
|
|