Drama students from Glamorgan University have been performing at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Wrexham.
Welsh language student theatre company ‘Y Graddedigion’ (‘The Graduates’) performed a bilingual adaptation of the play Riff at the Eisteddfod on Friday August. The production was inspired by the Columbine tragedy, and follows a young boy’s life as he struggles to deal with his status as an outcast, leading to a powerful climax.
The performance was directed by Glamorgan drama lecturer Sera Moore Williams, who is based at Glamorgan’s ATRiuM campus in Cardiff.
The students and recent graduates that make up the company are all from the bilingual BA (Hons) Drama (Theatre and Media) course, which is delivered at the university’s ATRIuM campus in Cardiff.
“I feel very privileged to be taking part” said Rhiannon Rees, 21 from Caerphilly, who along with the rest of the cast plays several roles in the piece. “The National Eisteddfod is an amazing, unique event for our country, and I love that I’m able to be a part of it.”
Recent graduate Craig Walkley, 22 also from Caerphilly, said before the performance: “It’s a really big deal.
“I haven’t taken part in the eisteddfod since I was at school, and it’ll be very different performing at this level. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Y Graddedigion worked with experienced Welsh stage and screen actor Darren Stokes and musician Llyr Edwards on the production, who created the play for Arad Goch theatre company along with filmmaker Andy Freeman and Sera Moore Williams.