Hijinx, alongside members of this year’s cohort from National Youth Theatre Wales, made the exciting transition from cyber-space to physical space in a new collaboration for MANIFFEST 2021Â – a series of takeover commissions, creative responses, and collaborations asking what empowers and excites young people in Wales.
The group, featuring four West Academy Actors, met each Thursday evening over a few months taking in everything from the Biden inauguration, analysing the deluge of election material stuffed through our letterboxes, to making Zoom polls the most fun ever!
Under the artistic direction of Ben Pettitt-Wade, the talented ensemble produced an experimental theatre piece exploring the political issues of our time – with the final sharing taking place 01 June 2021 at S4C’s Yr Egin building in Carmarthen (to a real audience!) and streamed live on Zoom to an invited audience.
Cast.
Zach Beasley
Hijinx Actor
Morwenna Brown
NYTW '21 Member
Dafydd Evans
NYTW '21 Member
Bethany Freeman
Hijinx Actor
Gareth Hopkins
Hijinx Actor
Sam Jones
NYTW '21 Member
Ashford Richards
Hijinx Actor
Bethany Wooding
NYTW '21 Member
;)
My experience on the NYTW / Hijinx residency was one that will stay with me for a long time. The process of creating the piece of theatre was so enjoyable; the improvisations that our sharing eventually consisted of were so much fun that I think we often forgot that they were going to be part of the sharing. I learned so much about how theatre can be created in an alternative way to pen on paper, and how it can be interactive and immersive for an audience. I have formed great new relationships with members and staff from NYTW and Hijinx, and I can’t wait for the next opportunity for us all to meet again.
Dafydd Evans, NYTW Member 2021
Actually meeting and actually working together in person, after months of being on Zoom, was just… there are no words to express how I feel because, it was just amazing.
Gareth Hopkins, Hijinx Actor (West Academy)
I've loved working with the members of Hijinx… they are so comfortable to just play and let anything happen. I've been able to come out of my shell and *breathe* to explore and perform. It's been fantastic.
Morwenna Brown, NYTW Member 2021