The second of three theatrical events happening at Cardiff’s first Christmas Festival at the Castle, Castellana is a mixed bag of oddities that’ll make you ‘ooh’, ‘ahh’ and even ‘eh?’ in the resplendent Fortuna Spiegeltent.
As noted by our reviewer of previous Spiegeltent-set offering The Nutcracker, the venue itself is worth the price of admission: a cosy mixture of dark wooden walls and stained glass topped by a colourful tented roof. The auditorium fans out from a round stage and long walkway with little separation between performers and spectators, allowing those in the front to get an absolute eyeful. Even at the back, you might feel a playful hand on the back of your head as an artist sashays off-stage and through the aisles. It’s playful and intimate without feeling intrusive: “consensual kiss?” an audience member is asked during a comedic tribute to Prince. (They offer it happily.)
The thing that lets Castellana down is the story used to tie everything together. Introduced by a magician (Alex Phelps) and an owl-themed drag artist, Velma Celli (Ian Stroughair), we’re told at the start that we’re about to enter the Welsh ‘Otherworld’ of Annwn. In this eternal realm, anything and everything is possible. This characterises the proceeding performers – who do everything from strip teases to contortion – as similarly otherworldly beings here for our entertainment in the human world (the use of well-known pop songs throughout breaks the illusion somewhat).
An additional unexpected hostess, Ana (Vicki Reb), enters the show when the magician asks for a volunteer. Put under his spell, Ana soon rediscovers her singing prowess and starts to feel strangely at home in Annwn – provoking a rivalry with Velma, who takes her grievances out on the poor magician. Velma, who consistently keeps the crowd energised, is an absolute show-stealer, too. Tim Curry, eat your heart out…
Unfortunately, the connective tissue hinders rather than enhances the experience, in part because it’s a bit hard to follow – rushed through in between acts – and as the show goes on, the Welshness gets slathered on as thick as butter on bara brith, and for reasons that ring hollow. Obviously, this all taking place in Cardiff Castle, there’s nothing wrong with leaning into the home crowd’s sense of identity, and I appreciated learning a little about some folk tales I wasn’t familiar with. However, there’s a difference between paying homage and pandering, and Castellana falls too much into the latter – leaving what’s on show, impressive as it is, to feel disconnected from the messaging.
Saying all this, if you tune out the narrative aspects, the show is still a good shout for anyone after some fun, frivolity and top-notch performers, who add surprising twists to circus and cabaret classics like fire-swallowing, juggling, rope-climbing, and both male and female burlesque. Among the more run-the-of-the-mill seasonal theatre and panto, Castellana is certainly the most unique show in town.
Castellana, Cardiff Castle, Sun 4 Dec.
On until Sun 1 Jan. Info: here.
words HANNAH COLLINS
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