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New musical gets first airing on Radio Wales 15/10/2002
BBC Radio Cymru has commissioned a brand new Welsh language musical to be performed in Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor and broadcast on BBC Radio Cymru.
Plas Du was created by two very familiar names in the music world – broadcaster Hywel Gwynfryn, who has been responsible for some of the nation's favourite songs and Robat Arwyn, one of Wales' major contemporary composers.
The cast includes 70 young people from Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern, Ysgol Uwchradd Llangefni, Ysgol Uwchradd Thomas Jones, Amlwch, Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, Ysgol Tryfan, Bangor and Ysgol y Creuddyn, Llandudno along with some of the industry's best in the production team, including Annette Bryn Parri and Gwawr Davies.
There will be two performances in Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor (24 and 25 of October) with a broadcast on Radio Cymru (Sunday, 3 November, 10.15am).Tickets are available by telephoning 01248 351708.
"It has been a dream of mine for some years to write a show set in a haunted house," says Robat Arwyn.
"After composing several historical shows, the Radio Cymru commission to celebrate its 25th birthday, coupled with the opportunity to work with Hywel Gwynfryn, came like manna from heaven.
"Working with Hywel is like being on a rollercoaster – with e-mail being a valuable medium in which to reveal a load of exciting ideas and amusing words.
"The main achievement was to restrain ourselves from writing a four or five hour show. The words meant that the music flowed easily, and it was sheer pleasure to work with such core material. I hope the audience, like me, feels the thrill in Plas Du."
"Good grief, what are we going to do? In short, this is how Robat Arwyn and I responded to the commission by Aled Glynne Davies, Editor, Radio Cymru, when we met him for the first time, back in March," says Hywel Gwynfryn.
"From song to song, the basis for Plas Du was set – with the help of Meirw Byw (The Living Dead), and the train service from Bangor to Cardiff.
"It was on this train that the majority of the songs were written, while Arwyn preferred to burn the musical midnight oil. I can only hope that the reaction of everyone, cast and audience is I really enjoyed myself."
"This is a real musical, with all the dialogue contained in the music," says John Roberts, the show's executive producer.
"It is a multimedia production, with pieces of film interweaved into the performance. The work behind a production of this kind is phenomenal – and it's fantastic to have so much talent taking part in something so thrilling."
The actors taking the three main parts are Darren Michael from Bryngwran, Sara Lian from Bangor and Bethan Lloyd from Llandulas.
"The commitment to the show by this talented cast and production team is unbelievable," says Marian Wyn Jones, Head of BBC Wales' North Wales Centre.
"There are fantastic voices in the cast and there has been widespread co-operation locally. Everyone is very much looking forward to the first performance."
Broadcast: Plas Du, Sunday, November 3, BBC Radio Cymru, 10.15am
Performance: Plas Du, October 24 and 25, Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, 7.30pm
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