National Theatre Wales stages a new show, Possible, a playful and profound piece of storytelling about love and finding the courage to explore the past, in order to shape the future.
Set to an emotive soundtrack, with live music and surreal cinematic visuals, it’s an experience that’s part theatre, part spoken word, part gig and part film, with the production streaming live and on demand this June and July.
Commissioned in 2019, Possible was going to be a show all about how we imagine and discover love in our lives. But then the pandemic arrived, driving the show’s creator, Shôn Dale-Jones, to reimagine things through a new lens. “I wanted to capture the emotional journey we’ve been on since the pandemic exploded into our lives and make something which might hold us together around the things that really matter,” Shôn said.
Not only did the show’s narrative change with the arrival of COVID-19, but the way it was created had to change too. Rather than creating songs, music and video in the same room, the team had to collaborate remotely from different cities. And instead of creating the show for the stage, everything has had to be designed for a 16 x 9 screen.
Reflecting on making the show for the screen, Shôn said: “The way we tell this story on screen offers us opportunities that don’t exist on stage, and I’m really excited by it. I think we’re managing to keep the intimacy we achieve in the theatre, and that the format might help audiences to feel more personally connected to the narrative and the storyteller. The show will offer them time to reflect on the last 18 months, find solidarity through the shared experience and, hopefully, feel less alone.”
Lorne Campbell, Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales said “Shôn and the rest of the creative team are making a remarkable, timely piece of theatre. In this extended moment of uncertainty about what is possible on stage and off, in the real world, in make-believe and in the slippery places in between, Possible is a production that shares human hope, uncertainty, love and resilience.
“We are delighted to be working with our friends at The Riverfront to stream the production live to audiences across Wales and the world, before hopefully bringing the show to in-person audiences later in the year. Whilst theatres can now reopen, there are still many challenges to overcome to get audiences back to full capacity in performance spaces. With social distancing still in place, many theatres will continue to struggle. We’re excited to have opportunities like this to be more innovative in our work. Streaming the production means we can potentially reach more people with live, shared experiences that help us all to take our tentative steps into the emerging world.”
The show’s creator and performer, Shôn Dale-Jones said: “It’s been brilliant working with National Theatre Wales again. The support they’ve provided is exceptional and I’ve been so inspired working with the team. We’re all bound together by the challenges we face, and we’re passionately searching for solutions, so that we can keep telling stories, and connect audiences around our common human experience.”
Possible is created and performed by Shôn Dale-Jones and co-directed and designed by Stefanie Mueller. Film and photography direction by Bear Thompson, music by John Biddle, sound design by Sam Jones and lighting design by Katy Morison. Film production and streaming by Red90.
Streamed live from The Riverfront in Newport from 29 June – 2 July 2021 at 8pm, then available on demand from 6 – 13 July 2021. Tickets for Possible are priced from £8 and go on sale on Thursday 20 May. For tickets and further information, visit https://www.nationaltheatrewales.org/ntw_shows/possible/
