Safe to say theatre-goers and stage lovers in Wales were busting to get back to auditoriums around the country in 2021. And while the re-opening process has been painstakingly slow to ensure the appropriate health measures can be met in light of the continuing pandemic, it was all worth it for those with clapping hands ready for the curtains to come up again.
With picks included from Buzz contributors Lynda Nash and Izzy Grace Thomas, as well as our resident theatre expert Jamie Rees, here are our favourite theatre productions, musicals, plays, dance and circus shows, comedy acts and more, from venues all over the nation that we had the chance to see and review this year.
The Book of Mormon
The Book Of Mormon is witty, silly, ironic and pushes the boundaries of good taste to the limit – all the things you’d expect from a production co-written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The duo responsible for South Park are not afraid to tackle subjects that many comedy writers would shy away from.
Is The Book Of Mormon offensive? Only if you fail to see the wider picture. This is a story of hope, friendship and humanity. It’s also a jolly romp that’s full of surprises. It’s not often you get to see Darth Vader, OJ Simpson’s infamous lawyer Johnnie Cochran, and Jesus Christ – who sounds remarkably like Eric Cartman – on the same stage.
Read the full review here.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Wed 13 Oct
words LYNDA NASH
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Simon Amstell, Spirit Hole
After three weeks of Mormons it’s time for something ‘new’ to grace Wales Millennium Centre’s stage – Jamie New, to be specific. After an 18-month pandemic delay, the hit West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie finally comes to Cardiff. Based on the BBC Three documentary, Drag Queen At 16, the show is an inspiring coming-of-age musical – a musical with drag queens, nonetheless – from The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie Sells.
This was my fourth time seeing Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, so it goes without saying I think you should see it. While the nights are dark and the world is still a bit askew, to paraphrase the musical’s end number – come in from the darkness and bask in Jamie’s glittery spotlight.
Read the full review here.
words CHRIS WILLIAMS
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 15 Nov
As promised by the enigmatic title and psychedelic poster design, Simon Amstell’s Spirit Hole brought to the stage all the beautiful, left-wing, loving open-mindedness one only fantasises about existing in the heart of the 1960s. A terribly human performer, Amstell brings no frills to his appearance on the stage. Like his style of speech, the stark simplicity of his appearance makes him strikingly easy to connect with.
Many standup comedians, bringing their life to the stage through shameful anecdotes, lean hard into their self-loathing and resentment of others as a source of comedy, normalising a sense of distance from the rest of society and laughing at rather than addressing our problems. Simon is a rare and potent exception to the rule, one of few standups you will come away from likely more psychologically healthy than when you went in.
Read the full review here.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Sun 19 Sept
words FELIX JONES photos HARRY CARR
MODE
The energy and feel of the setting, crowd and performers can make or break shows like these that straddle the line between precision-planned and improvised, and luckily, Klub Kids’ fashion experiment paid off in spades at Cardiff’s Tramshed last night.
The contents of MODE was portioned into runway segments, during which the top-billed acts – fleshed out by a selection of lesser-known but still mightily talented queens, kings and other performers – paraded across the stage in various designer collections, lip-sync and dance numbers, and sparingly used video interludes to allow for outfit changes (and a catching of breath on either side of the stage). Though Gigi, Symone and A’Whora were adoringly received by the crowd for their individual routines and face-to-face serves, it was Bimini and Tayce who were the most greedily lapped up.
Read the full review here.
Tramshed, Cardiff, Thurs 9 Dec
words HANNAH COLLINS
Myra Dubois, Dead Funny
As birthdays are “too common”, Dead Funny takes place at Myra’s funeral, only she’s still around to see how loved she was… well, is. DuBois is not your RuPaul drag performer, as indicated by a lack of straight teenage girls in the audience. The character of DuBois has been honed, at a guess, in legendary drag venues, harkening back to the form’s gritty heyday.
“I feel like a celebrity visiting a ward,” she says about the somewhat gay audience, a certain dark humour that would’ve gone down a storm somewhere like the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Her comedy is acerbic and cutting, a teeny bit shocking (“who’s buried a loved one? Give me a cheer”) but always hilarious.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Wed 8 Sept
words and photos CHRIS WILLIAMS
Clinton Baptiste
I arrived with high expectations for this gig as a ginormous fan of the Clinton Baptiste podcasts. It’s not always easy to replicate what you hear via the aforementioned audio medium (like what I did there?), but… well, there is no but here: just pure entertainment. I have not laughed so much – and very loudly at times – in years.
Granted, we have been unable to attend comedy gigs for a while, but I need to go back to seeing Ricky Gervais on tour for my last bout of convulsion with laughter. I got the impression many in this packed crowd had seen Clinton perform before, or were at least fellow podcast listeners, as every audience member approached by the main act was more than happy to participate.
Read the full review here.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Tue 5 Oct
words CARL MARSH
The Denial This Is Forever
Describing itself as “part museum, part live action video game and part live performance,” The Denial This Is Forever invites you to explore the limits and challenges of connecting through digital media, and helps us to reflect on how our lives have been changed by this becoming the prevalent method. We have been working on the assumption that this is only temporary – but, we are asked, will it last forever?
Read the full review here.
NoFit State, Cardiff, Sun 23 May
words EMILY EDWARDS
Jayde Adams, The Ballad of Kylie Jenner’s Old Face
Quick-witted with punchy delivery, Adams kept the jokes coming before you had a chance to laugh off the previous. With a satirical edge, she commented on reality television stars, the Kardashians, pop princesses, Little Mix and of her own social media clashes with diehard fans of the latter group. The use of visuals to give backstory to her jokes helped to keep the audience hooked, too. Not afraid to laugh at herself when technical difficulties occurred, the comedian showed showmanship, improvisation and quick wit.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Sun 17 Oct
words YASMIN GRANT
Beauty and the Beast
Given that this is a production with a Disney budget, Beauty and the Beast was always going to be incredible. It’s a perfect Christmas show for the Welsh capital, too, full of enchantment in the performances, sets, iconic musical numbers, and special effects. You can only imagine the amount of work that has gone in to bring it all to life – especially the technical aspects like the lighting and sound wizardry. Many times, I could hear people in the audience asking “How?” and that’s exactly the Disney magic you’d expect.
Read the full review here.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 14 Dec
words SARAH BOWDIDGE
We Need Bees
The three performers of We Need Bees brought the magic and wonder of bees to life, bouncing around the stage while acting, singing, playing instruments and even getting the audience up on their feet for the waggle dance – a sort of satnav hokey cokey to help the hivemind find its groove.
By the time this final character appeared, making the most of Barnaby Southgate’s silly songs and deft score, everyone was completely won over and ready to waggle-dance one more time. A safe, silly and satisfyingly sweet return to the theatre that was as much fun for the grateful performers as it was for the happy audience.
Read the full review here.
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, Thurs 3 June
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES photos SIMON GOUGH
The Boy With Two Hearts
I was asked on the way out of this performance by a member of staff what I thought of the piece, and I responded emphatically that I loved it. This response troubled me as I walked home: how could I love a piece of theatre about a family risking their lives just to be able to have one?
You’d be forgiven for thinking that The Boy With Two Hearts would be a difficult watch – but I have forgiven myself for sharing my enthusiasm with that usher, because this is a play about hope, with an enormous heart, that you have no choice but to love.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 5 Oct
words JAMIE REES
Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho
There’s nothing like rewriting a bit of history, especially in a power suit, heels and handbag. Bringing a show about Margaret Thatcher to Wales was never going to be easy, but if anyone could win over a tough sellout crowd it was Matt Tedford – who plays the former Prime Minister in this outstanding show.
Perhaps the highlight of the night was a scene with a talking portrait of Winston Churchill, who boasts of his gay sexploits in glorious, filthy detail: let’s say he did much more than just fight them on the beaches. This scene had the audience rocking in their socially distanced seats.
Read the full review here.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 15 July
words JAMIE REES
The Fulfilment of Ill-Concieved Designs
I’d love to see The Fulfilment… performed with live actors, as was originally planned for the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama’s Atmospheres festival, but considering the practical or legal difficulties in doing so, what resulted is still fantastic. The ending, though shocking, is such a sudden change of pace, it perhaps needed more development. Again, maybe it would have a greater impact were this a live performance, yet for a work created and assembled remotely during lockdown, it is certainly impressive.
Read the full review here.
The Fulfilment Of Ill-Conceived Designs is available to watch on YouTube at any time
words SARAH BOWDIDGE
Faust + Greta
Goethe’s Faust has always felt out of reach for me, portraying the task of instigating a dreamlike form of living between Heaven and Hell. This purgatory has been overtaken by the collective reality of lockdown. Faust + Greta – as co-produced by Frân Wen, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru and Pontio – is an innovative livestream that enables audiences to engage with this realm as the narrative unfolds before us.
Read the full review here.
Pontio Arts Centre, Bangor [livestream], Fri 18 June
words BILLIE INGRAM SOFOKLEOUS
Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland
In what might be the aptest choice of programme, and in a fitting setting, Opera Holland Park’s newest version of Lewis Carrol’s Alice In Wonderland is given a contemporary twist. Alice’s time spent in Wonderland is her ‘new normal’, away from the dreary town she lives in. Most of the familiar, maddening characters are here and it’s the usual formula.
The whole troupe of singers are stellar: if only there was enough space to list them all. The libretto by Maggie Gottlieb is also quick-witted and has some great moments in the Queen’s ramblings, lists of food and places in Wales beginning with ‘H’, all highlights. This shall go down as a historic production for WNO, as we finally emerge out of the pandemic and into the theatre space once more.
Read the full review here.
Dyffryn Gardens, Vale Of Glamorgan, Fri 25 June
words JAMES ELLIS photos JIMMY SWINDELLS
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