Turning of the seasons

Hello and happy new Year to you all. Sorry for the lack of updates lately but things have as usual been crazy busy. A big thanks to all of you who came to see Macbeth I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved being in it, it was a blast.

Anyway on to the new. I am in the middle of sorting out a series of four shows entitled "Tawe Tales"  that I am going to perform in the old theatre in Abercraf over the next year. Each show will be themed on a different part of the year and will feature stories from all over Wales. I am really looking forward to this as the Theatre there is awesome and it has not been used as a performance space for years so it should be great.

Menter Brecheiniog have also comissioned me to produce a short film about the Lady of Llyn Y Fan Fach. Those who saw Vortigerns kingdom will remember the tale and it is very dear to my heart so I am looking forward to this one. For those who are still waiting for the novel of Gethin, Fear not, it has now morphed into a series of short Stories called "Tales from the New Inn " and extracts will be posted here very shortly. 

I also continue running the Swansea Valley storytelling Circle and will shortly also be working on the storydays project which  also looks to be exciting.  ll in all things are very very busy, what with Pobol y Cwm stil ongoing and a load of storytelling dates also booked it seems as if 09 will be my busiest yet. Anyway I hope you are all well and I promise to update very shortly....

Owen  x

Fillet of a Fenny Snake

Just finished my run at the Grand Theatre with Macbeth for Fluellen theatre. Great cast , Great play and Great times, big thanks to Peter Richards the Director of Fluellen for giving me the chance to play with such a Fab Ensamble, loved it.
We have one more date to go at the De Valence theatre in Tenby on Thursday the 20th of Novemeber so If you fancy seeing this lovely piece of theatre please pop on down and check us out as it will be your last chance.
Always feel kind of strange at these times as everything is sort of in a state of Flux, both Grave Tidings and Macbeth are gone , the Gethin Book needs and injection of enthusiasm and I am in dire need of a good long rest. Next week I have some nice dates with The Libraries in Neath and Port Talbot which should be fun but after that the slate is strangly clean. What shall I do , where shall I go and who shall I meet, many questions but as yet few answers........
Knowing me as I do (quite well I hope) I think there could be some exciting times ahead, keep reading Guys you never know what may come our way............

Something Wicked this Way comes

Want to start this one with a big thanks to all the staff at Pontardawe arts centre for all their help with Grave Tidings last week. What a wonderful feeling it was to walk out on to the stage and see the place packed to the rafters for Ghost stories. It seems only a short time ago that I was writing here with some despondency about the low turn out when we performed Gethin at Ystradgynlais, what a difference a few months can make...
Grave Tidings wen really well and the audience seemed to enjoy it, it was strange being on stage so long on my own but I think it was a really good and worthwhile experience and one which I already wish to repeat as I have pencilled in a date at the arts centre for next Halloween, where I hope to put on something bigger and even better.
Am currently in the middle of rehearsals for Macbeth with Fluellen theatre, It's a massive challenge as we are putting on the play in three weeks and we open next Tuesday. I play a number of roles but the main character I am doing is Banquo.
I have had some difficulty with the lines but I feel that all of a sudden it is starting to stick with me and I hope that I will not let the side down come opening night at the Swansea Grand theatre on Tue.
It runs there 11th,12th and 13th of Nov so if anybody reading wants to come along and see what is going to be I feel a really good production please please pop along and meet up for a drink in the bar afterwards.
Busy busy times , but good times, the reason that I love doing what I do the most, I hope that by the time I next come to write this blog Macbeth will be another success in what has a very successful performing year so far......
Be bloody Bold and Resolute...............

Owen

Cold Nights and colder Hearts

Back in June I spent a very cold drunken and uncomfortable night sleeping on a beach in Ventnor (don't ask, wait for the autobiography) . That's not the point here is the point........

On Tuesday the 14th of October at 7.30 at Pontardawe arts centre you will see the beginning of the Swansea Valley Storytelling circle. A place for storytellers and Bards to gather and tell of their exploits, a place to exchange stories and ideas in a comfortable and friendly setting. Its something that I have thought about for many years but now because of the vision of one Tracy Evans it is about to become a reality. If you have any ideas or wish to contribute to our Oral history then please do not hesitate to come along where and hopefully we can make it a big success.
The nights grow colder and in just over a scant two weeks I will be debuting my new show "Grave tidings" its as I have said before a solo piece so please wish me luck I feel I might need it.
Peter Richards of Fluellen theatre has very kindly asked me to play Banquo in his latest touring production of Macbeth which begins rehearsals on the 20th of this month and runs in the Grand theatre in Swansea and other dates across the country during November please check out Fluellen's website for more details should you require them, I hope its going to be good.
I have not forgotten about the Gethin book which also continues at pace, watch this space for I will ask the Blue Princess to post some extracts as soon as I get a chance to speak to her. As most of you know Technology and I are uneasy bedfellows so I leave all things E in her capable hands.

Until next time.........

Owen

Wet days and Dark nights

Memphis was fab great weather, great place and a little time to write, awesome Loved it.
Although its been a little while since I last blogged here quite a few things have happened. Firstly last weekend I performed as the Festival Storyteller for the Pontardawe Music Festival , although this was wet and I ended up performing almost knee deep in mud to an audience that included Pick nickers and more than the Odd Dog. It was a great experience and It brought home to me exactly what it must have been like for the storytellers of old as they performed from village to village. A big thanks must go to Paul at NPT Libraries for organising it.
Work on the Gethin book continues at Pace and although the first chapter will be later than expected I hope to have it up here for you all to read pretty soon.
I have now chosen the three Ghost Stories that I will use as the content of my Halloween show Grave Tidings at the Pontardawe arts centre on the 31st of Oct . I hope it will be good.
Anyway I must go I'm still hoping the summer is going to show up but at lease when its dark and dreary outside I seem to be at my most creative.
Well I hope so anyway time is moving on and projects must be finished.........

The Mile High Club

Don't worry its not really as exciting as it sounds, in fact to the majority of sane beings out there it would be positively boring, but to me it sounds like a Godsend. Tomorrow I leave on a weekend working trip to Memphis, which in itself is fab but the most productive part of the whole weekend I hope will be the journey.
Memphis is a good Nine hours away including a short Stop at Newark so for the first time in a long time I shall have time to write . Horah ! Sitting on a plane for Nine hours being waited on and possibly at last finishing the opening chapters of the Gethin Book. Awesome.
Of course whilst I am over there in Tennessee I hope to do all the tourist stuff like visiting Graceland and Beale street as well as getting some Sun away from our awful British weather. Should be fab?.
If the hotel has Wi Fi I even hope to update this blog whist there so look out for some updates.
Anyway the most important plan is to finish the opening chapter and get it up on this website for you to read before the end of the month.
Should be simple....................................

The Arty Party

Today I finished a two day stint working on a project called the "Arty Party". The AP was organised by the Community Arts department of Neath/Port Talbot Libraries and was a great Success.
The idea was to get as many kids to try and get involved in as many arts as possible, to which end they had a varied group of artists and performers including myself in a number of rooms at Pontardawe arts centre. Each performer held workshop sessions for Junior aged Kids showing off such diverse skills as Mask Making to storytelling. All in all I did ten 55 minute sessions running over two days which was absolutely exhausting. The kids were all fab really getting into the stories I told and seemingly having a wonderful time. The whole thing was held at the superb facility at Pontardawe arts centre and really was a credit to the borough. I only wish that my tired old body could keep going after such a punishing and demanding Gig. I am absolutely shattered but well enthused and really hoping to get involved in similar projects in the future.
Wow anyway all other projects have been on hold for the last couple of weeks as I have been tied up with preparation for this and the five days I have been on Pobol YCwm in the last few weeks. All together June has probably been the most successful month I have yet had as a performer as the volume of work seems to always be increasing. I only hope the rest of the year will be as manic as the first half.
If not quite as stressful.........