ORLANDO
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, Thurs 23 May
“Who is she? Who is he? Who are we?” asks the teasing line of Dyad Productions’ adaptation of Orlando – a play, based on Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel, that explores romance, gender and adventure. A tale that crosses gender and time as the plot saunters from the 1600s to present day following its immortal title character, who climbs the social ladder in 16th century London and becomes renowned for his debauchery.
After a trip to Constantinople and a fateful night with a gypsy, he sleeps for a week and wakes as a woman. Orlando’s bold character reacts to the confines and expectations of women, from Victorian London until the present day, switching between gender roles. Directed by Elton Townend Jones and starring Rebecca Vaughan in the eponymous role, the play explores what it is like to stay true to yourself while finding where you fit in.
Woolf’s novel is considered a feminist classic and early exploration of genderfluidity, one adapted into a film directed by Sally Potter and starring a then-upcoming Tilda Swinton. Dyad, meanwhile, are known for adventurous productions including The Time Machine, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Dalloway, and The Unremarkable Death Of Marilyn Monroe.
Tickets: £12. Info: 01874 611622 / www.brycheiniog.co.uk
words Tamzin Wilks