The Welsh love their words, that much is admitted in one of the occasional, beautifully-written moments of lyrical coherence in Cardiff's Sherman Theatre's production of Patrick Jones's relentlessly dark play. The frustration and bankruptcy of the violent verbal exchanges among a group of unemployed mates, show how low the disaffected younger generation of post-industrial South Wales have sunk in their ambition and self-esteem. Lurching from one hit of heroin to the next, stealing, vandalising, joy riding, self-mutilating, Pip, A, Cindy, Jim and Curtis mock the notion of Tourist Board Wales with its green valleys and children in national costume on St. David's Day.
This wasteland, they say, is the new land of their fathers - fathers made redundant when the coal mines closed, shunted like robots into the brave new world of electronics and computer technology. Once the valleys were, in the words of Dylan Thomas, "an ugly-lovely place". Now their young people feel them to be just plain ugly - hopeless, deadend . . . you name it. Only the poet-philosopher A (Russell Gomer) retains some ideals, though they are based on the Socialist principles of the great Welsh politician, Aneurin Bevan, now ditched as old hat by the trendy New Labour dispensation, whom these kids despise.
Once more, it is music that has come to the rescue of Wales, through the uncompromisingly honest songs of bands like The Stereophonics, Catatonia and The Manic Street Preachers, who are officially associated with this play by the brother of their bass player Nicky Wire. Director Phil Clarke skilfully uses the songs as a sometimes raucous, sometimes poignant soundtrack to an ultimately moral tale of two deaths, a murder, a moral catharsis and a faint ray for hope, passionately acted by an ensemble cast of Llwyd, Gomer, Maria Pride, Andrew Lennon, Meilyr Sion and Stephen Ley.
Runs until Saturday June 3rd as part of the Belfast Young at Art festival. Bookings on Belfast 381081.
