Find out what’s on in South Wales this week
With the whole nation caught up in World Cup fever, why not experience the buzz for yourself by watching Ireland take on France in this clash of the Pool D heavyweights (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Sun 11 Oct, tickets from £95). With a favourable draw in the quarter-finals up for grabs, there’s a lot at stake, not least the rare chance to impress/annoy your colleagues with the immortal words ‘I was there.’
If you can’t make the game itself though, then why not spend an evening in company of the undisputed prince of Welsh rugby himself as Max Boyce returns to the land of his father’s with a new one-man show (Swansea Grand Theatre, Swansea, Thurs 8 Oct, tickets £22.50-£25.50). Appearing at the Swansea Grand for one night only, this talented raconteur and unparalleled folk hero promises to have you laughing and swaying along in the aisles. All together now, ‘and we were singing…’
A product of the pubs and clubs of South Wales, Max Boyce would make a perfect addition to the cast of Bouncers and Shakers (Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, Thurs 8-Sat 10 Oct, tickets £12-£13). The two funny and moving one-act plays depict the lives of those working in such establishments across the UK.
Fans of the American group Fall Out Boy will also be warming up their vocal chords in preparation for the Welsh leg of the band’s UK tour (Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wed 7 Oct, tickets from £34). With a new album to promote and solid support from Professor Green, you’ll be sure to be thanking them for these memories for a long time to come.
It’s not only the boys making noise this week though, as Henrik Ibsen’s seminal play A Doll’s House (Sherman Cymru, Cardiff, Fri 9-Sat 24 Oct, tickets £15-£25) proves its story of domestic oppression and female liberation is as pertinent as ever in this stirring production by director Rachel O’Riordan.
It’s all aboard as Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter (Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Thurs 8-Sat 24 Oct, tickets £8-£16.50) makes a much-anticipated stop off in Milford Haven. Made famous by the 1946 film starring Terence Howard and Celia Johnson, this tale of a passionate, doomed love affair between a married woman and a man she meets on a train proves that it has far from run out of steam in the years since then.
Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers (New Theatre, Cardiff, Mon 28 Sept- Sat 10 Oct, tickets £13.50-£34) charts the equally tragic tale of two twins separated at birth. Starring Marti Pellow and Maureen Nolan, this classic West End musical follows the diverging lives of Mickey and Eddie in 1960s Liverpool and proves that when it comes to brothers, blood will always be thicker than water.
Blood also promises to boil in Steven Sondheim’s acclaimed musical version of Sweeney Todd (Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Thurs 8-Fri 9 Oct, tickets £5-£43.50). With James Brining’s atmospheric production effortlessly transporting the Demon Barber of Fleet Street from the pages of the Penny Dreadful to the boards of the Cardiff stage, this looks set to be a great night out- just make sure to stay well clear of the buffet!
Elvis may be as dead as the majority of Mr. Todd’s unfortunate clientele, but you wouldn’t know it to hear the wonder of Shawn Klush Elvis World Tour (St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Mon 5 Oct, tickets £19.50-£34.50) and its masterly tribute to the eternal king of rock’n’roll. Crowned the ‘World’s Greatest Elvis’ in a BBC poll, Klush is accompanied by The Sweet Inspirations, who once toured with the Graceland legend himself.
The event of the week, however, has to be the Iris Prize Festival (Cineworld Cinema, Chapter Arts Centre and Park Inn Hotel, Cardiff, Wed 7-Sun 11 Oct, tickets from £6.50, VIP Pass to all events £75) a celebration of gay and lesbian film-making taking place in a range of locations across the capital. Go along to one of the movie screenings and support exciting new talent while enjoying some of the most innovative and culturally-conscious short films of 2015. With an induction day (Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Wed 7 Oct, Free Admission) for those young people aged 14 to 18 who are interested in learning more about what it takes to write, direct and star in their own independently made films, this event promises to nurture the stars of the future while also gaining some much-deserved attention for today’s big hitters.
words RACHEL REES