Our Town is the first major production of the newly formed Welsh National Theatre. The company was founded by legendary actor Michael Sheen a year ago following the closure of National Theatre Wales due to funding cuts. After a sold-out tour in Wales, it has landed at the venue of its co‑producer – the Rose Theatre.
A revival of Thornton Wilder’s 1938 American classic is an unusual but inspired choice for the team’s inaugural show. The action is transposed from a sleepy, insular community in New Hampshire to a similar set-up in Wales. Most of the script is true to the play’s US original. American place names and some historical and cultural details are kept but delivered with Welsh accents. And there is some powerful hymn singing in Welsh. Audiences are likely to be reminded of Llareggub, the fictional village in Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood, which features similarly quirky ordinary folk and universal themes. The blending of settings might seem odd, but it works because the storyline and themes are universal.
Our Town begins in 1901 and follows the everyday activities of the inhabitants of this very ordinary town. In the first two acts characters have breakfast, go to school, buy groceries, eat dinner, and gossip. Over the course of a decade children grow up, leave school, fall in love, and get married. The third act takes a more tragic turn and reveals some uncomfortable truths about how we live our lives.
Michael Sheen is a commanding and witty presence as Stage Manager, our chief storyteller and guide. He is clearly in his element, interjecting the action with quips and reflections. There are standout performances from Yasemin Özdemir as the bright and exuberant Emily and Peter Devlin as her down‑to‑earth young husband George Gibbs.
Our Town is very much an ensemble piece, and the 18‑strong company are beautifully choreographed by movement director Jess Williams, working alongside director Francesca Goodridge. The physical element is present throughout, changing from fluid, acrobatic, slow‑motion and dead still, mirroring the emotional journey of the piece. Hayley Grindle’s design does away with traditional scenery and props. Instead, buildings and furniture are created by the cast wielding ladders, planks of wood and chairs. Homes, school, church and graveyard are effortlessly built and dismantled in a continuous mesmerising dreamlike dance. The surreal effect is reinforced by breath‑taking lighting effects from Ryan Joseph Stafford.
The overall result is a fully immersive experience that is both melancholy and uplifting. The idea that all life is temporary may be sad, but the thought that community and humanity are continuous, if we take time to notice, is a comforting one.
And if the message of the play is that our time on this planet is short, and you will likely regret not making the most of it, Our Town is a show you won’t want to miss.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
