The Planets / When the Dragons Came Back to Wales

24 Nov 2023

18:30

90 minutes

Up to the Solar System and back down to Wales! Hummadruz, The Black-Light Theatre of Wales, presents the world premiere of two fantasia-like stories set to music.

“The Planets”

Performed to illustrate Holst’s classical masterpiece, this first half of the show tells seven stories based on each planet’s theme: Mars the Bringer of War, Venus the Bringer of Peace etc. The stories are sad, silly, happy, magical and daft as we explore the depths of the sea, visit Happy-land, discoer what’s in a magician’s top hat and travel through the galaxy.

“When the Dragons came back to Wales.”

This uplifting, multi-coloured, blacklight, psychedelic spectacle is performed to a new suite of music by Wales-based composer, Lenny Sayers based on a story by Stuart H. Bawler.

AWEL, a girl of 10 from a large town, stays with her grandparents over the summer in a Welsh valley with no signal! Bored, she becomes involved in a community project to build a Welsh Dragon for the back of a carnival float. Inspired by insects, hang gliders and birds, she becomes the boss and creates a huge aerodynamic Dragon. The night before the carnival, a fierce storm strikes and the Dragon breaks free starting events that affect the whole world!

Hummadruz are unique in Wales and the U.K. and use masks, dance, small and large-scale puppets, circus, stage illusion and music to tell their stories. Their shows are beautiful, joyous, non-verbal, multi-sensory, performed under black-light and integrate Makaton as a visual language.

Ages 5+ Performed in darkness, certain scenes may be weird for some small children.

Suitable for families, classical music fans and those with communication difficulties.

Supported by The Arts Council of Wales Lottery Fund, Newport Riverfront and Citrus Arts.