Mared Jarman's debut play on national tour

Theatr Cymru will begin 2025 with an urgent new play from Mared Jarman, Byth Bythoedd Amen. The production will premiere at Sherman Theatre from 25 January, with a Wales-wide tour to follow.  

Urban and darkly comic, Byth Bythoedd Amen explores love, loss and life as disabled people in a world that prioritises the mainstream. Playwright Mared Jarman – who won the 2023 BAFTA Cymru Breakthrough Award for her BBC comedy, How This Blind Girl – is an exciting new voice in Welsh-language theatre. Mared will also perform the role of Lottie in the production, alongside actor and presenter Paul Davies (Heno). Rhian Blythe is the director.   

Mared has been under commission with Theatr Cymru (previously Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru) since 2020 to develop this production and she can’t wait to share the piece with audiences across Wales:  
“The idea for Byth Bythoedd Amen came to me during lockdown; a horrific time for the disabled community which saw lots of disabled people lose their lives. I wanted to use my voice to bring disabled stories and characters like me and my friends to the stage. It's been a dream to go on this journey of turning the original idea into a script and now to see the script becoming a production, with such an incredibly talented team behind it. I can't wait to take our show to theatres across Wales."

Theatr Cymru has assembled an exciting creative team to stage this ground-breaking play. Designer Livia Jones, who worked with the company on Brên. Calon. Fi, Ie Ie Ie, Ha/Ha and Rwan/Nawr, has created set and costumes that integrate aspects of Lottie’s world as a young disabled person on stage. Garrin Clarke is the lighting designer, and Eädyth Crawford is the composer and sound designer. Marged Sion joins the team as Voice Director and Jess Williams as Movement Director, with Taylor Martin as Drag Consultant. 

Disabled voices and stories are at the heart of this production – and artists Sara Beer, Bridie Doyle-Roberts and Jonny Cotsen from Craidd are supporting the production as accessibility consultants. Bilingual captions will be available at every performance, as well as Welsh-language audio description from Eilir Gwyn. Eilir will also lead touch tours before each performance, offering an opportunity for blind and visually impaired audience members to explore the set, props and costumes.  

Rhian Blythe – the company’s Associate Director – has thoroughly enjoyed rehearsals over the last few weeks:  
“Mared is a fearless playwright, prepared to explore humanity’s darkest side, and forcing us to question our own prejudices and role within this flawed society. The subject matter is heavy but it is playfully explored, and humour often appears from the darkness. Although the play explores grief, it’s a journey filled with self-discovery and hope, with love and a zest for life at its heart. I have enjoyed every moment of exploration in the rehearsal room, and I’m so grateful to Mared, Paul and the whole team for being so open and generous. And for the laughter.”
  
Byth Bythoedd Amen kick-starts an exciting year for Theatr Cymru, as the company presents 6 productions. Steffan Donnelly, the company’s Artistic Director, is delighted to stage this play as part of the programme: 
“This is an explosive new play from Mared Jarman, which challenges society while telling a powerful and heartfelt story about love, loss and finding your way. There’s laughter, sadness and hope as the characters wander the streets of Cardiff. Byth Bythoedd Amen is a milestone in Welsh-language theatre as a play from a disabled perspective with a disabled cast, celebrating that community and confronting ableism in our society. With our excellent Associate Director Rhian Blythe at the helm, I can’t wait for audiences to experience this talented team’s work.” 

In bringing this production to the stage, Theatr Cymru have also worked closely with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama as part of a new partnership between the two organisations. Under the leadership of designer and college alumni Livia Jones, students from the college have built the set for this production. The students will also enjoy an opportunity to see aspects of the technical rehearsals and dress rehearsals.