Digital Programme
Dal Gafael / Hold On by Mared Llywelyn + Steven Kavuma
Directed by Dr Sita Thomas
Thank you for coming to support this remarkable cast and production team, featuring the most talented young actors drawn from all around Wales.
At National Youth Arts Wales, our mission is to empower the next generation of musicians, actors, dancers and makers to build a creative, confident and generous future for us all. It is unique to Wales that we have a single organisation responsible for all our national youth ensembles.
We know that taking part in arts activities is vital for everyone to live a fulfilled, connected and happy life. We believe every young person should have the opportunity to explore their own potential through a range of different artforms - supported from primary and secondary schools, to more advanced training and ensembles at regional and national level, and beyond. Sadly, the faltering economy and pandemic lockdowns have placed huge strain on the arts ecology in Wales.
We will continue to work hard to provide support for all our young actors, dancers and musicians – but if you can make a small donation as you leave today’s performance, it would be hugely appreciated.
David Jackson OBE
Chair, National Youth Arts Wales
Evan Dawson
CEO, National Youth Arts Wales
Note from Dr Sita Thomas
(Director and Movement Director/Choreography/Dramaturg)
It’s been an absolute joy to work with the National Youth Theatre of Wales and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru on our new play, Dal Gafael / Hold On. Being back here as a director, after first joining NYTW as a member in 2006, feels like coming full circle. My time with NYTW all those years ago played a big part in shaping my career, as it did for many others. Seeing both myself and Steffan Donnelly now leading theatre companies in Wales is a testament to how important NYAW is in nurturing the next generation of theatre makers.
This year, we wanted to do something special by commissioning a brand-new bilingual play from Mared Llewellyn and Steven Kavuma. Our goal was to support Welsh writers and bring fresh, relevant stories to the stage. This play is a reflection of the diverse voices and experiences that make up the rich fabric of Wales today. As we talked about what themes felt most urgent, the climate crisis, our heritage, and the current political landscape all came to the forefront. These themes weave into a story about two characters, Sade and Mer, who are each dealing with loss and searching for healing in a world that feels both familiar and strange.
My directorial approach is rooted in physical theatre and ensemble storytelling. It was important to me to create a space for choral physical storytelling that mirrors the collective spirit and energy of this remarkable group of young artists. Even with a tight timeline, they’ve poured everything into bringing this story to life. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and grateful to everyone—all staff, stage management, welfare and the creative team—who have worked so hard to make this experience unforgettable for the company.
As you watch, I hope you feel the passion and urgency that drove us throughout this journey. Thank you for being here, and I hope you enjoy the show.
Note from Steffan Donnelly
(Creative Consultant and Dramaturg)
I still remember my experiences as a member of the National Youth Theatre of Wales in 2009. The exciting challenge of staging a play in less than two weeks, collaborating with new people, learning craft and enjoying conversations late into the night in the student halls! It’s a testament to NYTW’s work as an early career facilitator that I’ve worked with or come across quite a few of the artists and stage crew I met there over the past 15 years. And that's what lies ahead for the talented ensemble of 2024 too!
Encouraging and supporting young people into careers or engaging with the arts is an important part of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru's work. We’re very pleased to be able to collaborate with the National Youth Theatre of Wales and Fio this year to bring the expertise and skills of each company together to support experiences and pathways for young people into the arts and to create a piece which celebrates the linguistic, cultural and artistic diversity of Wales.
It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with two special playwrights in Mared Llywelyn (the last time we worked with her was as an actress during our Parti Priodas tour a few months ago!) and Steven Kavuma. The two have worked together brilliantly in a short period of time to create a new story that encompasses the environmental crisis, Welsh mythology and the power of society and heart - themes that emerged in discussions with young members of ThCIC.
Massive congratulations to the talent on and behind the stage and I really hope you enjoy the experience of being part of Dal Gafael / Hold On. Whether you choose a career in the arts or not, the interpersonal skills, confidence building and the discipline of working together under pressure are extremely useful skills in life and you all have a bright future ahead of you.
Enjoy the show!
Biographies
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Mared won the Drama Medal at the Urdd Pen y Bont ar Ogwr Eisteddfod in 2017. In January of that year, she formed Cwmni Tebot with his friends - an amateur company keen to entertain their community by performing their original work. Since the Company's inception, they have worked in collaboration with Theatr Bara Caws by writing the fun review Costa Byw.Mared has also collaborated with Bara Caws and Urdd Youth Theatre in the past two years with the show Aberhenfelen. She was one of the three playwrights who wrote the show. Most recently she worked with Bara Caws on the trilingual play, Taigh/Tŷ/Teach. She has translated the play An Oak Tree / Derwen for Cwmni Invertigo, and the play toured Welsh theatres during November 2018. She has collaborated with Arad Goch to create a forum theatre play, Hudo/Tempted and Croesi'r Llinell/Crossing the Line. In July 2019 Hudo/Tempted won the Arts and Business Wales award.
Recently she worked with Cwmni'r Frân Wen on the play Croendena, and performed in Parti Priodas for Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. Mared works as an Education and Volunteering Officer at Plas Carmel, Anelog, Llŷn.
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A Ugandan-born, Swansea-raised writer and director. Most recently Head of Programming at Seven Dials Playhouse, Steven was featured in The Stage 100 List as one of the most influential people in theatre.As a writer, Steven has made work developed by the Barbican and Trafalgar Productions and was recently commissioned by National Theatre Wales to write a new full-length play. Steven was one of the writers of Sky Arts’ innovative television premiere GALWAD, a multiplatform, multilingual story set in our possible future world of 2052. His most recent play, ANOTHER F***ING PLAY ABOUT RACE was longlisted for The Bruntwood Prize & Mustapha Matura Award 2022. He is a Patron for Angel Shed and chair of LOYALTY, an artist development company based in Wales.
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Dr Sita Thomas works across TV, Film and Theatre as a Director, Presenter, Academic, Movement Director and Intimacy Coordinator. She holds a PhD from the University of Warwick and a Masters in Movement Direction from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Coming from a Welsh-Indian background, Sita is passionate about championing and creating opportunities for Global Majority, LGBT+ and neurodiverse creatives.
Sita's theatre directing credits include a range of innovative productions, such as The House of Jollof Opera, a pop-up food hip-hopera experience for Fio and Music Theatre Wales; The Shoemaker, an immersive opera co-created with refugees and asylum seekers in Wales for Welsh National Opera, Oasis Cardiff, and Fio; Coventry Embraces, a large-scale site-specific production as part of Good Chance’s The Walk with Little Amal; and Under The Mask, a binaural audio drama about the NHS for Tamasha and Oxford Playhouse. As assistant, associate, and staff director, Sita has worked at the National Theatre, Royal Court, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Royal Festival Hall. Her broadcast credits in 2024 include Director of The Way I Play, a documentary about race and disability in Welsh sport for BBC Wales, and Intimacy Coordinator for Bad Wolf, BBC, and Hera Pictures.
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Steffan Donnelly is the Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, he established Invertigo Theatre Company that has toured Britain and internationally with several productions such as Saer Doliau, Y Tŵr, My Body Welsh, My People, Derwen, and the Pererindod Festival. His recent work as a director includes Ha/Ha, Parti Priodas, Rhinoseros, Kiki Cymraeg and Gwlad yr Asyn (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru) and the short films Monologau’r Maes with Siân Phillips and John Ogwen (Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru). His work as an actor includes work at the Barbican and Theatr Clwyd, and several seasons in Shakespeare’s Globe. Two of his plays have been published, and he established the digital library www.dramau.cymru whilst studying for a master’s degree at King’s College London. Steffan is a founder members of Cultural Freelancers Wales (formerly Wales Freelance Taskforce, responding to the effect of the pandemic on the freelance sector). He was named as one of the most influential people in theatre in The Stage 100 list in 2024.
The Creative and Production Team
Writers: Mared Llywelyn + Steven Kavuma
Director and Movement Director/Choreography/Dramaturg: Dr Sita Thomas
Assistant Director: William Kingshott
Set and Costume Design: Cory Shipp
Lighting Designer: Garrin Clarke
Sound Designer: Eadyth Crawford
Associate Movement Director/Choreographer: Grace Goulding
Video Designer: Matt Powell
Associate Video Designer: Farah Ishaq
Fight Director: Rebecca Wilson
Creative Consultant and Dramaturg: Steffan Donnelly
Dramaturg: Rhian Blythe
BSL Interpreter: Cathryn McShane
Captions: Elen Mair Thomas
Producer: Megan Childs
Assistant Producer: Mason Edwards
Participation Coordinator: Sian Elin James
Production Manager: Mandy Ivory-Castile
Company Stage Manager: Julia Carsons Sims
Deputy Stage Manager: Martha Davies
Assistant Stage Manager: Lleucu Williams
The Welfare Team:
Lisa Jones (Lead)
Zach Ashley
Megan Jackson
Josh Marchant
Lily Webbe
The Cast
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Hannah Bianchi-Jones
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Leon Bogacz
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Rhys Bowen
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Macsen Forrest
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Meg Gillard
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Elena Gower
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Mali Grigg
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Nel Hay
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Alys Jones
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Dyddgu Jones
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James Makepeace
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Holly Mayhew
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Jona Milone
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Beth Mytton
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Kellie-Gwen Morgan
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Susana Myint
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Tomos Rhys
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Aleisha Walters
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Ashton Williams
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Efan Williams
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Prakriti Wood
Thank you for your support
Your support, alongside the support of Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Government, allows us to subsidise places to everyone on our residencies to keep costs as low as possible for all members.
But for those who need further support, we also award more than £70,000 a year of support through our generous Bursary Scheme, so no young person need worry about the cost of attending our residencies. This support can range from 25% - 100% of residency fees depending on circumstances.
This year, around 70% of NYTW members have received a full or partial bursary towards their residency costs. Between them, they received discounted fees worth over £21,000. Without the generosity of our supporters, we simply wouldn’t be able to offer this level of support.
If you’d like to make a donation today, you can donate online – or, please see our staff team in red T-shirts in the theatre foyer.
Thank you.