DO NOT GO GENTLE FESTIVAL | EVENT REVIEW
Various venues around Swansea, Fri 1 – Sun 3 Nov
As a performer, I was lucky enough to be given a precious weekend pass to DNG, now in its second year. Building on the success of that initial outing, the festival this time offered a further plethora of live literature, big name comedy, fine film, and outstanding musical acts. Not much could go wrong, really, considering the names on offer, and I am happy to say that this was the case once again.
Highlights for me, this time, were The Gentle Good, a very talented folk musician indeed, who shared songs partly inspired by his recent residency in Chengdu, China. In particular, I enjoyed the song/story of an ancient oriental philosopher getting drunk under a tree and inviting his own shadow to dance. Beautiful! John Hegley, too, was a high point, with his trademark mixture of spoken word, song, and charming wit. A true troubadour spirit indeed.
Eggs Laid By Tigers were fantastic, Who’s Afraid of Rachel Roberts? was outstanding, I enjoyed the reading/question and answer session with writers Francesca Rhydderch and Katherine Stansfield… two of Wales’s best.
A slight low point was comedian Phil Kay, who I had been looking forward to seeing, and who did not provide much by way of laughs from the very up-for-it audience. Comedy is a fickle thing, however, and I have heard he can be great at other times.
In any case, my disappointment was tempered by the fact that every other act I saw was superb. Niall Griffiths gave a great reading (which I heard from backstage! I was unable to get out due to him being on!), Twin Town was hilarious (actor Rhys Ifans and director Kevin Allen were both in attendance), Under Plywood was very clever indeed, and my comedy partner Clare Ferguson-Walker proved that she is one of the shiniest stars to be zooming upwards in Wales at the moment, in our joint show.
A fantastic festival that I wish could be more than just once a year! Congratulations to organiser Pierre Donahue for (as everyone was joking over the weekend) NOT going gentle… An astounding, stupendous addition to Wales’s cultural calendar.
words: MAB JONES