Theatr Clwyd today announces further details for the world première of Bethan Marlow’s Mold Riots, which will see a community and professional cast bring one of Wales’ forgotten dark days to life on the streets of Mold in a large-scale promenade production with locations including Mold Town Council Chamber, Mold cattle market and St Mary’s Church.
Katie Posner directs Gethin Alderman (Robat), Lauren Fitzpatrick (Margaret), Amy Forrest (Ailis), and Kai Owen (David), alongside a community cast of over 100 from ages 7 to 87, including 30 children.
Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd, Tamara Harvey, said today, ““We’re phenomenally proud to be staging Mold Riots – an incredibly ambitious undertaking, taking place on the High Street and surrounding areas. It’s this community’s story, and this piece is very much born of them – with a local cast of over 100 people of all ages, and teams involved in writing, prop and costume making, photography and music, guided and supported by our team and led by the wonderful Katie Posner. This epic promenade production is a not simply a piece of history but a story for now.”
Summer, 1869. Miners stand trial in Mold for attacking their manager after their wages are lowered. A crowd has assembled to hear the verdict – will they get a fair hearing? Stones will be thrown and blood will be shed but will anyone find justice?
Marking 150 years since these events tore the town apart, Mold Riots tells this local story with the involvement of the local community at every stage, with a community photography and film group, costume group, writers’ group, and knitting group, as well as a community scenic art team making over 1000 pieces of coal. The professional and community cast will also be accompanied by local choirs, including Cor Y Pentan, Northop Voices, Maes Garmon, and Buckley Singers, performing an original score.
This production is Theatr Clwyd’s most ambitious to date, with the wardrobe team making over 800 items of costume including traditional Welsh clogs, and a specially formed Mold Riots knitting group making coal, shawls and hats for the 100-strong cast who come from all walks of life, from lawyers to electricians, from teachers to the Mayor of Mold.
Mold Riots will run at Theatr Clwyd 21st – 26th October 2019.
