Part of 37 Plays, a national playwriting project to create a series of 37 brand new plays that reflect the world we live in today.
SYNOPSIS
The play, predominantly set in a North Walian school, takes place across two time periods - the 19th century and the present.
In the 19th century, Mr Evans has returned to his childhood village to take up a post as headmaster where, aided by Dame Williams, he seeks to switch the school's language from Welsh to English. There, he meets clever school pupil Ifor who resists the change, causing Mr Evans to become increasingly obsessed with succeeding - introducing the Welsh Not (a tool of humiliation to stamp out the language) and other punitive measures that spread throughout the village. Ifor's family eventually leaves for Patagonia and Evans realises what he has done and what he has personally lost.
Underscoring these events are the present-day Welsh-language scenes in the same school where we see a counter narrative. In the past, Wales is colonised as a result of its relationship with England. In the present, Ifor's modern counterpart Ioan is arguing that Wales colonised Patagonia. His teacher, Ms Vaughan, we later learn is a descendent of Ifor's and the two time periods structurally interact to question how a country can find its future without a deep examination of its past.
About the playwright
Lisa Parry is a Cardiff-based playwright. She has previously written The Merthyr Stigmatist for Theatre Uncut/the Sherman, which was released digitally during the pandemic to critical acclaim and published by Nick Hern Books.
Other staged plays include 2023, which looks at the impact of contact with a child conceived via gamete donation and The Order of the Object, which was staged by Theatr Clwyd during Lisa’s time as writer in residence.
Lisa has also written two audio dramas: Tremolo, which was shortlisted for best original single drama in the BBC Audio Awards 2023, and the recently released Deuce.
