Paul T Davies reviews The Land of My Fathers and Mothers and Other People now playing at the Pleasance Courtyard as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
The Land of My Fathers and Mothers and Other People Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Fringe
14 August 2019
4 Stars
Wales has been very well represented here at the Fringe, and here's a little gem from Rhys Slade-Jones. Bringing to life Treherbet Rugby Club, he tells us his family history, how his parents met, and brings to life the humour and melancholy of the Valleys. He is a warm, welcoming performer, sassy and naughty as he reads from his mother's diary, sings a couple of songs and is, rightly, unashamedly gay and camp. As a gay Valleys boy myself, it was like watching some of my history! But this is no piece of fluff, Rhys Slade-Jones does not flinch from the ravages of the loss of industry and jobs, the under funding of the NHS and the closure of community centres and groups. It's a deeply personal piece that will speak to many, Welsh or not, and this is a highly enjoyable hour in the company of a very funny man. Besides which, he wears an attractive pair of shorts!
Paul is a playwright, director, actor, academic, (he has a PhD from the University of East Anglia), teacher and theatre reviewer! His plays include Living with Luke, (UK tour 2016), Play Something, (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Drayton Arms Theatre, London 2018), , (2019), and now The Miner’s Crow, which won the inaugural Artist’s Pick of the Fringe Award at the first ever Colchester Fringe Festival 2021. In lockdown 2020 he created the audio series Isolation Alan, available on Youtube, and performed online in the Voice Box Festival. He is the founder member of Stage Write, a Colchester based theatre company, and his acting roles include Rupert in How We Love by Annette Brook, first performed at the Vaults Festival 2020 and revived at the Arcola and at Theatre Peckham in 2021. Follow: @stagewrite_
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