Sherman Cymru Theatre, Cardiff
Fri 31 Aug + Sat 1 Sept
Tickets: £8/£6. Info: 01633 838672 / www.theatrffynnon.co.uk
In a collaborative project between Theatre Fynnon and Sherman Cymru Youth Theatre, 18 young people have been brought together over an eight-month project and nine-day residency to create a unique piece of theatre that attempts to capture the fast-paced worlds of two groups of young people who may otherwise not meet or work creatively together.
Cluttering is a lesser-known communication disorder which involves the cluttering of spoken words. With an erratic rhythm and disjointed syntax, cluttering results in poor fluency and a challenging loss of meaning, and although the play is not strictly about cluttering, it attempts to challenge expectation and perception. “We’re looking to play around with people’s expectations,” explains director John Norton of what will largely be an experimental production formed over the nine days preceding the production at Sherman Cymru on Fri 31 and Sat 1 Sept. “People usually expect [language therapists] to fix the stutterer, but the more progressive thinking is about fixing the listener,” continues John.
Due to the nature of the project, it’s hard to sum up exactly what to expect, however, Cluttering will explore an often irregular world through the eyes of 18 teenagers. Brought together by Sherman Cymru’s Youth Theatre and Crownbridge Special Needs School (backed by Theatre Fynnon) expect rhythm, sound and disfluency to be examined and challenged. Expect “A coming together of two groups of people to make a piece of work who wouldn’t normally be in the room together,” explains John. “Expect a fascinating chaos.”