Another controversial play by Church in Wales Priest, Aled Jones Williams, will be premiered during this year’s National Eisteddfod of Wales to be held in Cardiff next month.Iesu! (Welsh for Jesus) takes o sobering look at the relevance of Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross in today’s conflict-ridden world. “Iesu! Is an opportunity to look afresh on this historical character and to re-define Christianity,” said the Reverend Aled Jones Williams, who has been Parish Priest in the Gwynedd town of Porthmadog for the last 13 years. “Although I wouldn’t describe Iesu! as a religious play per se it does raise a number of pertinent questions about the role of fundamentalist religions not withstanding my own especially after 9/11,” he added. As part of his quest for answers to his questions Aled Jones Williams has put Jesus Christ in a female persona in Iesu! “The man-created image of Jesus Christ has always been of an effeminate nature with long flowing locks of hair,” he added. “I’ve just taken that imagery a step further to see if it’s of any significance to the audience,” he said. Iesu! is a Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru – the Welsh National Touring Company - production and will be staged for the first time in Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre (029 2064 6900) on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, 5-8 August, 2008. All performances start at 7.30pm with a post performance discussion with Aled Jones Williams planned following the performance on Thursday, August 7. A discussion on Iesu! will also be held in Theatre on the National Eisteddfod field in Thursday morning, August 7, at 11.30am. “Aled Jones Williams is no stranger to courting controversial challenges in his plays and Iesu! is no exception,” said Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Artistic Director, Cefin Roberts. “”It won’t be a comfortable theatrical experience but Aled’s plays never are,” he added. The cast include Gareth ap Watkins, Dafydd Dafis, Dafydd Emyr, Llyr Evans, Mathew Lloyd,Sioned Wyn , Dorien Thomas, Llion Williams and Fflur Medi Owen as Jesus. To coincide with the premiere Iesu! will be published by Gomer Press and on sale in the Sherman Theatre and on the Eisteddfod maes. Iesu! will also be touring Wales’ main theatre venues later in the year starting in Bangor’s Theatr Gwynedd (01248 351708) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening, 11-13 September, 2008, before going on to: Cardigan’s Theatr Mwldan (01239 621200) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, 17-19 September, 2008; · Carmarthen’s Lyric Theatre (0845 226 3508) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, 24-26 September, 2008; · Mold’s Clwyd Theatr Cymru (0845 330 3565) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, 2-4 October, 2008; and · The Aberystwyth Arts’ Centre (01970 623232) on Friday and Saturday evenings, 10-11 October, 2008. All these performances start at 7.30pm. The play includes some strong language and scenes of a sexual nature. |
| Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru web site: www.theatr.com |
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008 |
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