Graham Williams

Swansea reviewer

Graham originally trained as a commercial illustrator and went on to contribute artwork to the programme pages of TV TimesJackieBlue Jeans and countless girls' annuals and comics, as well as for women's magazines including My Weekly and The People's Friend and TV fan publications including On Target, The Avengers and the American magazine Top Secret. He also contributed research material to several publications by West Midlands-based author Dave Rogers devoted to the history of action/adventure TV shows including The AvengersThe Prisoner and Danger Man.

It was while producing artwork for the pages of Sbec, the weekly programme guide for S4C (the Welsh fourth channel) that he began writing features devoted to classic American TV shows and also contributed a regular film review column to the magazine. It was around this time that he also began writing a regular weekly TV Review column for the now-defunct Swansea Gazette.

Graham was later asked to try his hand at writing theatre reviews for the South Wales Evening Post - an offer which he very nearly turned down. Since than he has written hundreds of performing arts reviews for publications as diverse as Encore,The Western MailThe StageDance Today!Dancing TimesThe Big Issue CymruTheatre in Wales website and now the British Theatre Guide. He also provides regular theatre, music and gallery listings and previews for the Llanelli Star and its various regional editions.

He also continues to write for the South Wales Evening Post, contributing not only performing arts reviews but also a regular weekly opinion column and a nostalgia slot related to local social history.

Theatre remains his passion, however, and he regularly attends not only purely theatrical events but just about anything from modern jazz, opera and ballet right through to stand-up comedy, panto, world music, literary festivals and multi-cultural events.

Graham wishes it to be known, however, that he draws the line at Roy "Chubby" Brown.

Latest reviews

Lysistrata

Aristophanes, adapted by Francis Hardy (Fluellen Theatre Company at Depot Studio, Arts Wing, Swansea Grand Theatre).
Reviewer: Graham Williams

Les Chambres de Jacques / Jack in a Box production photo,

Les Chambres de Jacques / Jack in a Box

BJM Dance (Les Ballets de Jazz Montreal) (Creu Cymru with support from the Arts Council of Wales at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea).
Reviewer: Graham Williams

Publicity photo,

Morecambe

Tim Whitnall (Guy Masterson/Theatre Tours International and Anna Murphy for Feather Productions at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, and touring).
Reviewer: Graham Williams

Publicity image,

Shelf Life

National Theatre Wales/Volcano Theatre Company/Welsh National Opera in partnership with the Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea Metropolitan University and Grwp Gwalia Cyf (The Old Library, Swansea).
Reviewer: Graham Williams

Danny The Champion of the World publicity image,

Danny The Champion of the World

Directed by Phil Clark for Sherman Theatre Company, adapted by David Wood from the story by Roald Dahl (Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea).
Reviewer: Graham Williams

Hard Times poster,

Hard Times

Charles Dickens, adapted by Richard Hurst (Love & Madness at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea).
Reviewer: Graham Williams

Production photograph,

Halt! Who Goes There?

Written and directed by Geinor Jones Inspired by the book Come Out, Wherever You Are by Herbert Williams (Theatr na n'Og at Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea).
Reviewer: Graham Williams

Linda Marlowe in Diatribe of Love,

Diatribe of Love

Gabriel García Márquez, translated by Gwynne Edwards (Linda Marlowe Productions at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea).
Reviewer: Graham Williams