The Welsh Lxdies
Did you know that The Welsh Lxdies project and production started back in 2019? Scroll down to hear our journey so far!
A Little Bit About The Welsh Lxdies
‘The lady speaks in Welsh’
Henry IV Part 1 Act 3 Scene 1
Who is she? If she had a voice…what would she say?
The Welsh Lxdies is a Bilingual, episodic, experimental, semi-autobiographical work, mapping Welshness, Womanhood, Sexuality, Identity.
Inspired by the Welsh Lady in Henry IV who has no lines herself but merely exists within stage directions, this reimagining is a conversation across the centuries from historical poet Gwerful Mechain who wrote an ode to her c****, to modern Valleys’ girls on a night out in Caerphilly. An exhausted mother learning Welsh at evening college to support her daughter with homework, to stories of vibrators, sheep-shaggers and belonging.
The Welsh Lxdies is a celebration and a call to action.
The Journey So Far
July 2019-May 2022
Grace O'Brien begins her research into 'The Welsh Lady' in Henry IV part 1 as well as the long history of the Welsh language through a post-colonial lens having written a 1st class dissertation on this. She begins to write scenes and extracts from her personal experiences of Womanhood and Welshness, as well as scenes in collaboration with verbatim experiences of growing up, reclaiming the voice, sexuality and identity. Grace is awarded a micro-bursary for freelancers during the Covid-19 pandemic by Theatr Clwyd and reads an extract for the first time at an open mic night at Little Nan's Bar, Deptford by July 2021.
May 2022 - July 2022
Purple String Productions are awarded rehearsal space via New Diorama Theatre's lottery. They call out online for voluntary contributions of thoughts on Welshness & Womanhood (written or voice-noted) which informs Grace's writing further. A few actors volunteer to read-through and offer thoughts on the script, and subsequently shared with around 40 audience members who offer feedback verbally and via jot-form.
July 2022 - Oct 2022
'The Welsh Lxdies' is offered a slot at The Other Room Theatre's 'Try Your Art Out' festival for an early draft showing. Purple String Productions run 'Figuring Your Sh*t Out' open mic nights at Little Nan's Bar in Deptford to fundraise. 'The Welsh Lxdies' achieves a sell-out audience for the small sharing, with positive reviews, despite only one day 'rehearsal' (script in hand).
Oct 2022 - Jan 2023
'The Welsh Lxdies' is offered a slot at VAULT festival 2023 and subsequently starts planning. The team are unfortunately unsuccessful with their Arts Council England application and therefore rely on fundraising and box office splits for the 'performances'. The team reaches out online and are wonderfully supported by spaces such as Ugly Duck and The Other Room Theatre for in-kind space and actors work script in hand. The team also continue to speak to Welsh Women and run a wellbeing coffee morning and writing workshop around Welshness, Womanhood and Identity. Written snippets are saved and continue to form collection of voices that have contributed to the project.
Feb 2023 -Aug 2023
The team tour a work in progress scratch version to Theatr Soar (Merthyr), Chapter Arts Centre (Cardiff), Theatr y Ddraig (Barmouth), Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw (Pwllheli) and Theatr Derek Williams (Bala) for further feedback supported by The Noson Allan Scheme to reach rural areas of Wales and continue to speak to Welsh Women. Supported with fundraising and box office splits.
Sept 2023 - Aug 2024
Purple String Productions are awarded a grant from the Arts Council of Wales for R & D to develop The Welsh Lxdies, supported by Blackwood Miners' Institute, The Birkdale Trust and Taking Flight Theatre. We are now looking at our next stage!
Photography By David Edmunds
