YMCA Theatre, The Walk, Roath

Sat 2 July

words: MICHELLE DAVIES

The costume and props department could take a day off when it came to dressing the central characters of Empty Pocket Theatre’s latest theatrical production, [On]Stage. Despite the driving nature of their off-stage presence the protagonists are never seen.

Sat 2 July will see the YMCA theatre in Roath play host to a two-part evening of new theatre from this grassroots writing company. Empty Pocket is the brainchild of Anna Poole and Natalie Stone, who have honed their writing style with the support of one another after originally meeting at the Sherman Writer’s Group in 2010. Following professional writing workshops and the discovery of their complimentary writing style, the writing duo have collaborated on three productions, including a co-produced play performed at Cardiff’s 10 Feet Tall in September 2010 entitled Can I Have A Job Please?, and a new genre of performance called Tea Party Theatre – In April 2011 they co-wrote and directed a sell-out performance under this banner at Thé Pot.  Their inclusive and innovative style aims to provide accessible and affordable theatre without taking itself too seriously.

[On]Stage is Empty Pocket’s largest project to date, and will see an evening of new writing performed by a team of actors who share Empty Pocket’s enthusiasm and passion for performance.  This creative showdown will host two very different performance pieces: Hello Mrs Silverstone by Natalie Stone and A Sunday Roast by Anna Poole.

Hello Mrs Silverstone is a drama told through phone conversations that tread the line between the comic and the tragic. The piece revolves around a stubborn and eccentric elderly woman with dementia, Mrs Silverstone, who is never seen on stage. With the wrong number for her son and no short term memory, she begins to unwittingly communicate with a family of strangers, unaware of the major part she is playing in their lives.

A Sunday Roast is the stylistic exploration of the entrapping nature of routine. The play juxtaposes two routines in Adelaide’s life: Sunday roasts with the in-laws and in-depth counselling sessions. After the miscarriage of her first child, a constant off stage presence from her past becomes the demon behind her perfect family façade. A Sunday Roast illustrates how freedom is defined only by self-made barriers.

[On]Stage, Sat 2 July, YMCA Theatre, Roath, tickets: £6. For more information on the performance, click here. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.