Sherman Cymru,
Thurs 9 Feb
words: ALICE HUGHES
Current Economic Crisis: that hackneyed phrase which has somehow come to define the beginning of this decade may not be the most promising basis for an evening of engaging theatre, but Bethan Marlow’s one-act Welsh language play Sgint succeeds in transforming it into something tangible, human and thoroughly enjoyable.
North Walian Marlow chose Caernarfon as the location for Sgint (which, without wanting to insult anyone’s intelligence, is Welsh for ‘skint’), a staunchly Welsh and close-knit community that also happens to be one of those hit hardest by the effects of the banking crisis. A traditional narrative arc is abandoned in favour of series of monologues, a device which conveys a sense of fragmentation that chimes perfectly with the subject matter. That the script was lifted from interviews with real people is testament to its gritty realism and quiet tragedy. These dramatised talking heads each represent a different stock character and Caernarfon resident – the depressed housewife, the entrepreneur, the wealthy politician to name but a few – and outline the comings and goings of their daily existence. It isn’t so much what they do say but what they fail to express that is most revealing about their hardships. Ellie, a young single mum struggling on benefits and also the play’s main focus, once dreamed of becoming a dancer, and her frequent failure to finish her sentences whilst wistfully gazing into the distance is unbearably poignant.
Such a topic could, in the hands of a less experienced playwright, become steeped in pessimism, but Marlow’s screenplay is illuminated by a light humour which elicited a steady stream of laughter from the audience. There is some powerful acting to be found here, with standout performances from Morfudd Hughes and rising star Manon Wilkinson as Ellie. Although the latter half of Sgint is largely given over to political commentary, the juxtaposition of the working class against their wealthier counterparts – which could easily have descended into stereotype – is never anything less than deftly nuanced. Sgint may seem disparate and episodic to begin with, but its individual monologues converge to form a dialogue that poses more questions than it answers. This thought-provoking play is showing at the newly-refurbished Sherman for a limited time only, so tickets are sure to sell faster than you can say “tough economic times”.
Info: www.shermancymru.co.uk