THE PERFORMANCE SEASON at WILLOW GLOBE 2024
After two false starts due to inclement weather, our wonderful volunteers came together to put up the Circus Tent on 20th April just in time for the opening of the season on April 21st - Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash:
As usual, we had contributions from all across the community including many of our Have-A-Go participants and Community Theatre members.
On 2nd May we hosted a celebration of the life of one our volunteers who had died whilst travelling in Africa. Mick was a member of community theatre’s band and he was a regular at the Willow Globe volunteering to help run the bar at our events over the summer. Friends from all over Wales who had connected with him through his love of the arts, music and drumming in particular, assembled in the tent for a musical evening of remembrance and celebration:
The 4th May brought the first visit to Willow Globe by Edward Derbyshire with his musical antics as he told us the story of Bottom from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The timeless words of Shakespeare, interspersed with piano classics, told and played live in this one-person show.
Our very own Willow Globe Company were next up with their brilliantly cast ‘Twelfth Night’ highlighting the enormous talents of our local community. Beautifully directed by Sue Best and Phil Bowen, they played three shows at the Willow Globe two of which were sell-outs on the Saturday and Sunday:
“It was wonderful. Pure joy. I've been waiting a long time to be able to return to the willow and was not disappointed. I brought my children 10 & 13 to their first Shakespeare play, hopefully the first of many. Sitting still for long periods is not always easy for my youngest, but he was engaged throughout most of the performance. We all decided Sir Toby was our favourite character. We also particularly enjoyed the music, and singing in the rain at the end of the play was an enchanting moment.”
The bonkers and brilliant The School of Night returned to us on June 15th. Sadly it was raining in the evening so we took cover in the (tea) cozy ambience of the barn. Once again, with plenty of audience participation, we were dazzled with their quick witted rhymes and rhythms as they improvised another of Shakespeare’s lost plays.
The season continued with the incredibly talented storyteller Debs Newbold who spent a whole weekend at the Willow on 22nd and 23rd June. Part of her Kings and Queens tour, on Saturday she retold the heart-wrenching story of ‘King Lear’ and on Sunday we learned the fascinating story of Grace O’Malley - Pirate Queen. No one tells a tale quite like Debs who had us all on tenterhooks throughout.
“Inspiring, mesmerising, engaging, thought provoking, funny, exciting, emotional, movement content was hugely effective, just absolutely glorious, thank you, and diolch to Deb Newbold a consummate performer! Really was amazed at the dragonfly's entry and exit almost perfectly on cue - how did you manage that!?! Reflective of the nature all around us - and how we're all connected…”
The 29th June marked the return to the Willow Globe of The Factory Theatre Company. They ran a free workshop before their sell out performance of ‘The Tempest’. On Sunday 30th they put on a well attended fundraising event to help arts and medical aid organisations around the world.
The annual Play Wales takeover followed on 2nd, 3rd and 4th of July. Every year, around 50 delegates from all across Wales come to the Willow Globe for their annual conference, taking full advantage of the natural and manmade facilities we have onsite. An open fire pit, wild camping, big top circus tent, nature trails, woods, Rhos Pasture, and the Willow Globe itself.
We welcomed Sun and Moon Theatre back to the Willow Globe on Saturday 20th July who brought ‘The Winter’s Tale’ to us this year. Said to be contain of the most famous exit stage directions - “Exit, pursued by a bear” unusually this time, brought us a fearsome one footed polar bear!
“We loved Sun and Moon's performance, it was full of charm, wit and the type of enthusiasm and energy that captivates you in the performance. We were also really pleased at the clarity this performance brought to the play making a tale that can be meandering easy to follow and fully engrossing.”
Drawing on the international connections Shakespeare Link have made over the decades, Monday 22nd July saw the exciting arrival of Woodshed Arts all the way from North Carolina in the USA. Twelve 13-18 year olds plus five adult chaperones made the Willow Globe their home for the week - eating, sleeping, playing and working here for seven nights, culminating in a lively contemporary musical interpretation of ‘As You Like It’ which they named ‘Arden’.
“A spirited, confident performance of their own script by a group of personable American teenagers. The audience, despite being neither American nor teenagers themselves, got the contemporary take on Shakespeare's tale and responded warmly.”
Cross collaboration between continents commenced on Sunday 28th July, as the twelve students from Woodshed Arts met around 22 students from Cardiff’s Everyman Youth Theatre. After sharing warm up exercises from both companies, the Everyman team played a touching ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and then sat down to watch ‘Arden’. All the young people were blown away by each other’s work. Much singing and dancing ensued as the young creatives swapped notes - and addresses! - and made plans for the future, whilst enjoying a barbecue feast together in the courtyard.
Our thanks go to Creighton Irons from Woodshed Arts and Sarah Bawler from Everyman Youth Theatre for their vision and guidance in enabling this happy talented melting pot and adding to this summer’s magic at Willow Globe.
Just when we thought the summer couldn’t get any better, and as we bid a fond farewell to Woodshed Arts, The Wet Mariners arrived! 2024 marked their twelfth consecutive year visiting us, and they were more extraordinary than ever. True to form, they transformed the theatre space and delivered two stunning performances of Pericles, leaving audiences utterly delighted and captivated:
“It is wonderful to have the calibre of acting you would expect at the RSC here in rural mid Wales. We are so privileged to have this group come back every year.”
Following on from The Wet Mariners was a first time visit to Willow Globe by the renowned Folksy Theatre all the way from Scotland who brought with them a lively ‘As You Like It’. Some audience members travelled from afar specifically to see them.
“The venue is beyond lovely and the troupe were having such a fun time on stage delivering the story it was impossible not to leave without a big smile...Really enjoyed the performance. Very good music and singing.”
Audience Member at Folksy Theatre’s ‘As You Like It’
On 18th August, our community company The Willow Globe Company performed ‘Twelfth Night’ to a delighted audience at Hay Castle, Hay-on-Wye.
On the 31st we were visited by Sweet Sorrow Theatre Company for the second year running. This young and enthusiastic company charmed the audience with two fun performances of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
“Loved it. Brings Shakespeare to life, so entertaining and such a treat to have such a quality performance here in the middle of nowhere and accessible to us rural dwellers. Thank you.”
Audience member at Sweet Sorrow’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
Finishing up the summer season here at Willow Globe was an exclusive performance by the Willow Globe Theatre Company for Radnor-Powys Women’s Institute.
Our work continued into the autumn with a new project working in partnership with Powys Teaching Health Board and local dance company Impelo. We ran a pilot series of drama workshops for people with speech impairments due to various conditions such as strokes, Parkinson’s and head injuries. All of our practitioners received CPD training from speech therapist Ceinwen Douglas who also attended the sessions. She and the participants have been delighted to take part in the sessions and, subject to funding, we look forward to continuing them next year.
We continued our online Have-A-Go sessions, which remain a lifeline for those who are still shielding, as well as to some members of the group who have limited mobility. We are also continuing to run our fortnightly in-person Have-A-Go sessions in Builth, Llanidloes and here at Willow Globe have expanded by providing sessions in Hay-on-Wye with a taster session on 10th December.
“Have-a-Go online has helped us through the pandemic and beyond. We are both chronically sick (one with myeloma, the other with chronic heart disease) and live alone in an isolated location. The regular on-line sessions have been a real lifeline, have kept us occupied and active social beings”
Participant of online Have-A-Go
“I really look forward to my morning with Shakespeare. it is great fun, lighthearted, lots of laughs and we learn a lot about the play and Shakespeare’s world.”
Participant at Builth Have-A-Go
“Involvement in the local community has greatly improved my mental health, giving me positivity through difficult times.”
Community Theatre participant
“Being part of Willow Globe Theatre Company has improved my mental and physical health in a myriad of ways. Being part of such a supportive and committed team has brought me a sense of purpose, confidence in myself to achieve positive things in my life, rich friendships and opportunities to meet people I never would otherwise. WGTC appeared in my life at a time when I was really confused, distressed and struggling with my anxiety and it has been vital in getting me back on my feet.”
Community Theatre participant
We’d like to thank our generous funders without whom everything we did in 2024 would not have been possible:
Llysdinam Trust, Arts Council Wales’ Night Out Scheme, Gibbs Trust, Arts Council Wales, Powys Teaching Health Board Charitable Funds, Foyle Foundation.