Arts and Innovation Centre Bangor
Artistic Programme May - August 2017
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Welcome to Pontio Opening hours Monday to Saturday 8.30am - 11.00pm Sunday 12.00pm - 8.00pm Closed for Bank Holiday 1 & 29 May, 28 August
Copa Kiosk Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5.30pm (term time only) Ffynnon Bar Monday to Saturday 11am - 9.00pm (Bar Ffynnon open until 11.00pm for evening performances) Sunday 12.00pm - 6.00pm
Gorad Restaurant Monday to Saturday 8.30am – last food orders 8pm Sunday 12.00pm – last food orders 6pm
Tickets Online www.pontio.co.uk 01248 38 28 28
Cegin Cafe Monday - Saturday 8.30am - 6.00pm Sunday Closed
info@pontio.co.uk
Phone lines open Monday to Saturday 10.00am - 8.30pm Sunday 12.00pm - 6.00pm Register for the latest news on www.pontio.co.uk @PontioTweets PontioBangor Pontio_Bangor PontioBangor If you would like a large print version or audio copy of the text of this programme, please contact us on 01248 388 421
Information is correct at time of going to print Registered Charity Number: 1141565
Theatr Bryn Terfel Seating Plan
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Pontio at a glance May – August 2017 May Saturday 6 Saturday 6 Sunday 7 Wednesday 10 Thursday 11 Friday 12 Saturday 13 Saturday 13 Tuesday 16 Saturday 20 Tuesday 23 Thursday 25 Friday 26 Wednesday 31 Wednesday 31 June Thursday 1 Friday 2 Thursday 8 Friday 9 Saturday 10 Saturday 10 Thursday 15 Thursday 22 Thursday 22 Tuesday 27 Thursday 29 Friday 30 July Saturday 1 Monday 10 Thursday 20 Friday 21 Saturday 22 Sunday 23 Thursday 27 August Thursday 3 Monday 7 Tuesday 8 Tuesday 8 Wednesday 9 Thursday 31 Coming Soon! Thursday 5 Oct Friday 6 Oct Saturday 28 Oct Sunday 29 Oct
Time 7.30pm 1.30pm & 6.30pm 3pm 7.30pm 7pm 7.30pm 11.30am & 2.30pm 7.30pm 8pm 7.30pm 7pm 7.30pm 8pm 7.30pm 8pm
Mozart and Walton Bangor University Dance - Summer Showcase Ensemble Cymru Coffee Concert RLPO: Bach Concerti NT Live: Obsession The Trials of Oscar Wilde One Little Word Côr Seiriol Gala Concert Comedy Central Live A King, a Prince, a Church Lleisiau/Voices Y Tŵr Altan Gair o Gariad Andy Parsons – Peak Bullsh*t
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7.30pm 7.30pm 7pm 8pm 2pm 8pm 7.30pm 7pm 7.30pm 8pm 7pm 7pm
Gair o Gariad End of Year Gala Delayed Live Screening: La Traviata - Glyndebourne Al Lewis Band NT Live: Peter Pan Dan Thomas & Phil Cooper A Midsummer Night’s Dream NT Live: Salomé Summer Classics Comedy Central Live Into the Woods Into the Woods
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7pm 7pm 7pm 6pm & 8.30pm 2pm & 7pm 2pm & 7pm 7pm
The Weird and Wonderful Delayed Live Screening: Hamlet - Glyndebourne NT Live: Angels in America Part 1 Acelere Acelere Acelere NT Live: Angels in America Part 2
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7pm 8pm 1pm 3pm 8pm 7.30pm
Live Screening: La Clemenza di Tito - Glyndebourne Llechi Eisteddfod: 9Bach a 'Llechi' Eisteddfod: Rhyfel Troea, Drama Gymraeg Llechi NT Live: Yerma
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8pm 8pm 7.30pm 3pm
How To Win Against History How To Win Against History P.A.R.A.D.E P.A.R.A.D.E
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of Just someevents our past
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Welcome to Pontio’s summer season As the days get longer, there’s a summery feel running through this programme... WNO’s Summer Classics and their guest Rebecca Evans, and Ballet Cymru’s production A Midsummer Night’s Dream are sure to enchant. Pontio’s GwleddSYRCASFeast takes place, this time within the centre’s walls – the only contemporary circus festival held in Wales. This year we eagerly await Circolombia. All the way from Bogota to Bangor and a first for Wales, Acelere is an energetic and colourful show full of amazing stunts and music from South America.
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra return to Pontio, this time with the world-famous harpsichord player Mahan Esfahani and Music Theatre Wales and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru will be presenting a long-awaited operatic adaptation of ‘Y Tŵr’ by Gwenlyn Parry by Gwyneth Glyn and Guto Puw. There will be daily films, and monthly comedy again this season, and for those of you who enjoyed Llechi in our opening programme, the National Eisteddfod’s presence in
Anglesey offers the perfect excuse to restage this splendid patchwork quilt of performances responding to the theme of slate curated by 9Bach – for local audiences and visitors from all over Wales to enjoy. In the year where Gwynedd are presenting the case for making the slate quarries of the local area a World Heritage Site, there is something very timely about hearing a contemporary response to slate resounding through the walls of Theatr Bryn Terfel. Elen ap Robert Artistic Director
2017
Gorffennaf 18-27 July
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Music
Saturday, 6 May 7.30pm Bangor University Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Mozart and Walton Prichard-Jones Hall £12/£10/£5 students and under 18s Terence Ayebare (baritone) Steven Evans (piano) Chris Collins (conductor) Graeme Cotterill (conductor) The massed forces of the University Symphony Orchestra and Chorus present a performance of William Walton’s magnificent
and hugely exciting cantata Belshazzar’s Feast with the fine Ugandan baritone Terence Ayebare. The concert opens with three Mozartian masterpieces: the delightful choral works Ave verum corpus and Regina Coeli, and the ebullient Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat major, K.271, with local pianist Steven Evans.
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Dance
Saturday, 6 May 1.30pm & 6.30pm Bangor University Dance
Summer Showcase Theatr Bryn Terfel £5/£4 concessions Bangor University Dance is the biggest club in Bangor University's Athletic Union. The club enjoys making dance as accessible and enjoyable as possible for all. The determination shown by all the dancers has allowed Bangor University Dance to become the national award winning dance team they are today, representing the university in many showcases, competitions and events.
Come and enjoy both beginner and advanced performances in jazz, tap, ballet, street, contemporary and Latin and ballroom, along with Irish, burlesque and swing – all to a great soundtrack.
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Delicious food with a taste of Wales To book: 01248 383826 bwydabar@pontio.co.uk Pontio level 2
Cinema snacks , cocktails, coffee and more!
Bar
Pontio level 0
Freshly made bagels, waffles and cakes Pontio level 3
To view our opening times and menus please visit www.pontio.co.uk 6
Music
Sunday, 7 May 3pm Ensemble Cymru
Coffee Concert Studio Photo: Tom Porteous
£12/£10/£5 students and under 18s Ensemble Cymru have saved the best for last with this final offering from their sublime 2016-17 Concert Series. Showcasing the finest chamber music from Wales and across the world, this concert from Ensemble Cymru is not to be missed!
world with Sally Beamish’s Between Earth and Sea, and From the Song of Amergin by Welsh composer Hilary Tann. This Debussy-style trio will also capture the reflective and poignant lyricism of Arnold Bax’s Elegiac Trio.
Royal harpist Anne Denholm, alongside principal flautist Jonathan Rimmer and violist Lucy Nolan, take us through evocations of the natural
Violinist Elenid Owen and Heather Bills on cello join us for a performance of Mozart’s exquisite Flute Quartet No. 1 in D major.
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Exhibition
Photo Cre di Iolo Penr ts: Mark Douet (t op i
)
10 – 29 May
We’re here because we’re here Level 0 An exhibition that documents 'We're here because we're here', an event that took place on 1st July 2016, where thousands of volunteers participated in a UK-wide contemporary memorial to mark the
centenary of the Battle of the Somme. Commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, the work was conceived and created by Turner Prizewinning artist Jeremy Deller 8
in collaboration with Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre. Produced by Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the National Theatre, in collaboration with 23 UK theatres, including Pontio.
Music
Wednesday, 10 May 7.30pm Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Bach Concerti Theatr Bryn Terfel £18 / £16 over 60s / £10 students & under 18s Stravinsky Concerto in D Bach Harpsichord Concerto in F minor BWV 1056 Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.5 Bach Harpsichord Concerto in D minor BWV 1052 Stravinsky Danses Concertantes James Clark director/violin Mahan Esfahani harpsichord
When Stravinsky turned to the music of the 18th century for inspiration, critics joked that he’d gone “Back to Bach”. In fact, he could hardly have done much better – because from the bustling celebration of JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos to the limitless energy and invention of his harpsichord concertos, music simply doesn’t get any more satisfying – or timeless – than this. And we’ve got one of the world’s most charismatic harpsichordists to play it: the one and only Mahan Esfahani. 9
Joint Leader of the Orchestra James Clark directs with two of Stravinsky’s salutes to the Baroque era. During the visit musicians from the RLPO will hold workshops with the local Sistema Cymru Codi'r To project
sinema cinema
A cinema for everyone in the heart of Bangor
1 Screen 7 days a week 3D 15 new films a month 70 showings a month 1 stage for the best in live opera and theatre
Book at pontio.co.uk 01248 38 28 28
Pontio’s cinema programme is published online and through a monthly programme distributed locally or picked up at the centre. To receive weekly email bulletins, sign up at www.pontio.co.uk and tick ‘Cinema’ in the interest categories. Follow the latest cinema news on Twitter @sinemapontio 10
Thursday, 11 May 7pm NT Live Satellite Screening
Obsession(15) Cinema £12/£10 concessions Jude Law (The Young Pope, Closer, The Talented Mr Ripley) stars in the stage production of Obsession, broadcast live from the Barbican Theatre in London. Ivo van Hove (NT Live: A View from the Bridge, Hedda Gabler) directs this new stage adaptation of Luchino Visconti’s 1943 film.
restaurant he encounters husband and wife, Giuseppe and Giovanna. Irresistibly attracted to each other, Gino and Giovanna begin a fiery affair and plot to murder her husband. But, in this chilling tale of passion and destruction, the crime only serves to tear them apart.
Gino is a drifter, downat-heel and magnetically handsome. At a road side
The stage production of Obsession is produced by Barbican Theatre 11
Productions Limited, London and Toneelgroep Amsterdam; (cocommissioned) by Wiener Festwochen and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg; co-produced by Holland Festival and David Binder Productions; and supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Drama
Friday, 12 May 7.30pm A coproduction by Mappa Mundi and Theatr Mwldan
The Trials of Oscar Wilde Theatr Bryn Terfel ÂŁ14/ÂŁ12 concessions
The triumphant opening night of The Importance of Being Earnest in 1895 was the zenith of Oscar Wilde's career. Less than 100 days later he found himself jailed and bankrupt, sentenced by the Crown to two years hard labour for homosexuality.
But what happened during the trials and what did Wilde say? Was he harshly treated or the author of his own downfall? Using the actual words spoken in court, we can feel what it was like to be in the company of a flawed genius - as this less than ideal husband was tragically reduced to a man of no importance.
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Suitable for ages 14+ Supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government and the National Lottery.
Photo: Jennie Caldwell
By Merlin Holland and John O'Connor
Family
Saturday, 13 May 11.30am & 2.30pm M6 Theatre Company presents
One Little Word
teulu family
Studio £6/£20 Family and Friends Ticket (4 people, at least one under 18)
A beautiful and gentle story of friendship, power struggles and the rich world of creative play. We meet two characters who play together – exploring a new space, new objects, dressing up and taking turns - but struggles arise when one of them wants to be the ONLY Captain of the ship! Age guidance: 3+
Devised by one of Britain’s leading theatre companies for young audiences, who have already delighted audiences at Pontio with the enchanting ‘Mavis Sparkle’, One Little Word captivates children’s imaginations with a moving story underscored with original music and told with just ONE spoken word.
Birmingham Mail
“The excellent M6" Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“Magical" The Stage
“Outstanding" Herald Scotland
FREE creative workshop with artist Luned Rhys Parri
follows the show outside the Studio. Get creative with cardboard, wire and sticky tape inspired by ‘One Little Word’!
Music
Saturday, 13 May 7.30pm
Côr Seiriol Gala Concert Theatr Bryn Terfel £15 Come and enjoy Côr Seiriol’s twenty-fifth birthday celebrations in the presence of two of Wales’s best choirs - Côr Seiriol and Côr Godre’r Aran. The compère is Nia Roberts, of BBC Radio Cymru, a recent recipient of an Honorary Fellowship from Bangor University.
With contributions from two local talents, Steffan Lloyd Owen, a recent winner of the Kathleen Ferrier prize and Jâms Coleman, the Instrumental Blue Riband winner at the Meifod Eisteddfod in 2015 and a candidate for the Bryn Terfel Scholarship in October 2016. Welsh medium event. 14
Tuesday, 16 May 8pm Pontio Comedy Club with Comedy Central Live presents
MC: Maff Brown Alistair Williams Andrew Ryan Studio ÂŁ10/ÂŁ8 concessions Age Guidance 16+ Join us for a night of laughs featuring three comedians on the UK touring circuit.
Drinks are permitted in the Studio at our Comedy Club events.
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Comedians are subject to change, see website for latest line up.
Music
Saturday, 20 May 7.30pm Monteverdi Singers and Orchestra
A King, a Prince, a Church Theatr Bryn Terfel £12/£10 students and under 18s G F Handel for George II “Zadok the Priest” “The King Shall Rejoice” J S Bach for the church of St. Thomas, Leipzig Cantata 147 “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” L van Beethoven for Prince Nicholas Esterhazy Mass in C Charlotte Trepess Soprano Anna Saunders Alto Mark Ellse Tenor Mark Rowlinson Bass Edward Davies Leader John Huw Davies Conductor
This king, prince and church each benefited from the genius of three great composers. Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’, commissioned for George’s coronation in 1727, has been performed in every subsequent coronation; ‘Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring’ is part of one of the cantatas Bach wrote for St.Thomas' Leipzig; and Prince Nicholas Esterhazy commissioned Beethoven to write the Mass in C for his court at Eisenstadt.
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The Monteverdi Singers is a chamber choir of about 40 singers with a repertoire extending from the Reformation to the present day. In its fifty years the choir has performed music from many parts of the world, some never before sung in North Wales. A very warm welcome to the Monteverdi Singers and Orchestra on their first visit to Pontio.
Tuesday, 23 May 7pm BLAS presents
Lleisiau/Voices Studio FREE but ticket required A reading of a verbatim "Play for Voices" by the students of Ysgol Friars. This is the culmination of an intergenerational project with the residents of Plas Hedd care home and drama, health care and social care students from Ysgol Friars, led by BLAS, Pontio’s arts participation programme for young people.
10 students were given an introduction to dementia, by Dementia Services Development Centre training officer Joan Woods, before visiting the home and getting to know residents over a period of five weeks. The conversations which took place were recorded and then developed into a verbatim play by the young people under the guidance of playwirght and theatre practitioner Branwen Davies.
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This special evening will be hosted by Welsh broadcaster Beti George who has been working to raise awareness of the condition since her husband was diagnosed with dementia in 2009. The evening will include interviews with the young people who have taken part in the project, responses from residents and staff of Plas Hedd, as well as a chat with Branwen Davies and Joan Woods.
Music & Drama
Thursday, 25 May 7.30pm Music Theatre Wales & Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
Y Tŵr
A new opera based on the play by Gwenlyn Parry
Theatr Bryn Terfel £15/£12/£5 students and under 18s Composer Guto Puw Libretto by Gwyneth Glyn Y Tŵr is an intimate story of love and life from the UK’s leading new opera company and the Welsh-language national theatre, based on the work of one of Wales’ most important playwrights. Exploring the extremes of emotion experienced by two lovers over the course of a lifetime together, Gwenlyn Parry’s acclaimed play is brought to new life in the form of a touching and lyrical new opera by composer Guto Puw and singer-songwriter-playwright Gwyneth Glyn.
Sung in Welsh with English surtitles. A Music Theatre Wales & Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru production originally presented by Sherman Theatre and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival. Female Caryl Hughes Male Gwion Thomas Conductor Richard Baker Director Michael McCarthy Designer Samal Blak Lighting Designer Ace McCarron 130m (20m interval)
6.15 - 7pm Studio Y Tŵr as an Opera A pre-show discussion with the librettist and composer, Gwyneth Glyn and Guto Puw, as well as the actors who brought the original play to life, John Ogwen and Maureen Rhys. Chaired by Elen ap Robert, Pontio Artistic Director. The discussion will be streamed live on the web. Bilingual event with simultaneous translation provided.
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“ We'll go up, you and me. Together, hand in hand. No fear, no regrets.� 19
Music
Friday, 26 May 8pm
Altan 30th Anniversary Tour
”Altan have never sounded better or tighter”
Theatr Bryn Terfel
The Irish Times
£15/£13 concessions Altan have been long established as the best and foremost traditional Irish band to come out of Ireland. With their exquisitely produced, award-winning recordings, their ground breaking ‘Island Angel’ recording going to no.2 in the Billboard World Music Charts in 1993, their music ranges from the most sensitive and touching ancient ballads all the way to the energetic foot-tapping reels and jigs, and with their heart warming engaging live performances, Altan have moved audiences from
Donegal all the way to Tokyo, to Sydney, Seattle and beyond. Altan’s music is steeped in the rich and colourful heritage of County Donegal in the North West of Ireland. Co. Donegal has a strong fiddling tradition from which Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Ciaran Tourish get their inspiration and unique repertoire. Mairéad is also from the Gaeltacht area of Gaoth Dobhair (a Gaelic speaking region) where she learned many of the songs which Altan have recorded over the years. 20
During the summer of 2014, Altan went to the hub of country music, Nashville. They wanted to try a new, fresh approach to recording and reflect how they have widened their musical horizons over their career and with the help of Garry produced “The Widening Gyre”, the title being a reference from W.B. Yeat’s poem ‘The Second Coming’. We welcome Altan to Bangor as part of their 30th Anniversary Tour.
Wednesday, 31 May & Thursday, 1 June 7.30pm Theatr Bara Caws
Gair o Gariad Studio £12.50 Let’s raise our glasses to long lost loves and current lovers, to mums, to dads and to absent friends… Theatr Bara Caws in collaboration with Uninvited Guests with the support of Pontio stage an event that is somewhere between a wedding reception, a wake and a radio dedication show. We speak of our own and other’s
loves – deep, passionate, ambivalent and unrequited – and dedicate songs to them. Send a dedication to someone you love telling us what they mean to you and why you’ve chosen this piece of music. Your letters of love may become part of the show, romantic gestures or signs of friendship, shared publicly between us. Age: 12+
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On buying your ticket, the ticket office will ask for your email address or phone number so that Bara Caws can contact you asking for your dedication. Your personal information will not be shared, and you may remain anonymous if you so wish. This is a Welsh language production.
Comedy
Wednesday, 31 May 8pm Off The Kerb Productions presents
Andy Parsons – Peak Bullsh*t Theatr Bryn Terfel £15 Worried about your job? Worried about your family? Worried about yourself? Worried about the health service? Education? Climate change? World War 3? Worried about worrying? Sod it! Come and have a laugh about it. It’s one of the things we do best. Or is it? Was it something we did best but like everything else has now gone West. Or South. Or East. Ah - go on. Take a risk.
Put on your lucky pants and your party shoes – and get yourself on a night out. Or maybe come out dressed in a binbag, top hat and clogs. We could all use a laugh. As seen on Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo, Q.I. etc. and repeated on Dave. 14+ (Parental Guidance) Likely to be swearing and adult content
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“A consistently strong exposer of bullsh*t and a plain-speaking truth-teller through his entire career”
“Cracking adlibbing… a joke-rich rallying call for a better Britain” The Guardian
The Guardian
“Potent live performer… can nail a nonsense with beautiful economy of words”
“Brilliantly funny and insightful” The Times
The Times
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Music
Friday, 2 June 7.30pm
End of Year Gala Prichard-Jones Hall £12/£10/£5 students and under 18s Bangor University Symphony Orchestra Bangor University Chorus Bangor University Brass Band Bangor University String Orchestra
Join us in PJ Hall on the very last evening of the university term for our annual celebration of fabulous music making by the university’s ensembles. A feast of music for all tastes!
Bangor University Concert Band Bangor University Music Society Orchestra and Choir 24
Thursday, 8 June 7pm Glyndebourne (delayed live screening)
La Traviata Cinema £12/£10 concessions One of the world’s bestloved operas, captured live in 2014, returns to cinemas. Verdi’s masterpiece tells the story of Violetta, played by Bolshoi-star Venera Gimadieva.
This production is directed by Tom Cairns and ‘exquisitely conducted’ (the Daily Telegraph) by Mark Elder who leads the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Music Event
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Friday, 9 June 8pm Cabaret Pontio presents
Al Lewis Band Theatr Bryn Terfel £14/£13 concessions Join us for an informal night of great music with the Al Lewis Band. As a bilingual writer and performer, Al has released a total of 5 albums so far. He has spent multiple weeks in the Welsh Language Charts and scooped the award for ‘Best Male Artist’ two years in a row at the BBC Radio Cymru Awards. Gathering support and praise from eminent DJs such as BBC Radio 2’s Janice Long and Dermot O’Leary, Al has also received support from Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq, Tom Robinson and Bob Harris, all of whom have championed Al’s music on their respective BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music shows.
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Al has opened for the legendary Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra playing shows across the UK, culminating in a sold-out performance at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London. One of Al’s biggest successes so far was his Christmas single based upon the Dylan Thomas short story, ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’. It was the first bilingual song containing Welsh lyrics to make it on to the BBC Radio 2 playlist and was hailed by Gary Barlow as a ‘great song’. Al has now teamed up with American singer/songwriter Alva Leigh to form a new duo Lewis & Leigh the results of which are already gathering fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
Music
Saturday, 10 June 2pm NT Live (recorded)
Peter Pan(PG) Cinema £12/£10 concessions All children, except one, grow up... Captured live at the National Theatre, a recorded performance of JM Barrie’s much-loved tale screens in cinemas.
When Peter Pan, leader of the Lost Boys, loses his shadow, headstrong Wendy helps him to reattach it. In return, she is invited to Neverland, where Tinker Bell the fairy, Tiger Lily and the vengeful Captain Hook await. A riot of magic, music and make-believe ensues. 28
A delight for children and adults alike, Sally Cookson (NT Live: Jane Eyre) directs this wondrously inventive production, a co-production with Bristol Old Vic theatre.
Comedy
Saturday, 10 June 8pm
Dan Thomas & Phil Cooper Studio £10/£8 concessions In the age of terror, Dan Thomas presents a comedy show that explores his unique upbringing...by Welsh terrorists (his Mam and Dad were in the Free Wales Army). While other children were being tucked in with nursery rhymes, Dan was being kept awake by his mother’s polemics about political murder and the vital role of an armed
militia, before singing “The Guns of the IRA”. This is his telling of a childhood where compromise was never an option.
more importantly, a unique voice in comedy, building on the success of Phil's latest Edinburgh show, “Manic Pixie Dream Boy”.
"A barnstorming frenetic bastard after my own heart. Quality." – Russell Kane
This show is in the Welsh language.
Phil Cooper is one of the rising stars of the Welsh comedy circuit. A unique voice from the Rhondda, but
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14+ occasional strong language.
BLAS is Pontio’s youth project, which gives children and young people a taste for the arts. We hold drama workshops in the Pontio Studio: Mondays:
Wednesdays:
Year 3 and 4 5-6pm Year 5 and 6 6.15-7.15pm Year 7, 8 and 9 7.30-8.30pm
Year 3 and 4 5-6pm Year 5 and 6 6.15-7.15pm Year 10 - 13 7:30-8:30pm
BLAS also works in the community and with schools. To book a place on the weekly workshops, please contact the Box Office on 01248 382828, or for more information please contact Mared Huws on m.huws@bangor.ac.uk.
Our latest projects balletLORENT Sn ow White balletLORENT audit ioned local children to appear alongside their professional dancers in their sho w Snow White last November. The suc cessful candidates received dance and movement workshops in prepa ration to work with the professional co mpany.
ber to Remem AS use #BL eeting! when tw
yno: RhĂŽn BLAS yn Cyflw by members of A show devised ere magical land wh a in d se BLAS ba ed. pp sto ly en dd su the water has young people 76 children and stage, each with e th on d appeare al character. du ivi their own ind
Working on: Lleisiau/Voices Students from Ysgol Friars are currently working with Plas Hed d care home to record the voic es of residents in order to create a verbatim play (more informa tion about this event on page 17).
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Dance
Thursday, 15 June 7.30pm
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Theatr Bryn Terfel £12.50/£10.50 concessions Award Winning Ballet Cymru return to Pontio with a stunning version of Shakespeare's most magical play. This funny and heartwarming adaptation features vibrant classical choreography danced by some of the finest dancers around. Mendelssohn's joyous music is interpreted by Artistic Director Darius James and highlights radiant costumes, sets and video projection. A world of magic and mayhem. The Queen of the Fairies Titania, and Puck the mischievous messenger, inhabit the supernatural fairy kingdom. Bottom and his boot-wearing
“Rude Mechanicals” present their famous play Pyramus and Thisbe. And finally, the lovers, caught in a thrilling web of mistaken identity and confusion finally find their way through the Athenian forest to an unforgettable and joyous reconciliation. Ballet Cymru are a young, vital group of dancers who are pushing back the barriers of classical ballet. Using powerful and timeless stories the company challenges its dancers to interpret some of the finest characters in literature. Under the Artistic Direction of Darius James, the company continues to develop its relationship with audiences through accessible outreach work and exceptional, stylish performances.
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“Impressively able dancers and a choreographer who can make use of every gift they have.”
Photo: Sian Trenberth
The Sunday Telegraph on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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Drama
Thursday, 22 June 7pm NT Live
Salomé(15) Cinema £12/£10 concessions The story has been told before, but never like this. An occupied desert nation. A radical from the wilderness on hunger strike. A girl whose mysterious dance will change the course of the world.
This charged retelling turns the infamous biblical tale on its head, placing the girl we call Salomé at the centre of a revolution. Internationally acclaimed theatre director Yaël Farber (Les Blancs) draws 34
on multiple accounts to create her urgent, hypnotic production on the stage of the National Theatre. ‘Epic. A near-perfect production.’ Guardian (on Les Blancs)
Music
Thursday, 22 June 7.30pm WNO Orchestra
Summer Classics Theatr Bryn Terfel £18 / £16 over 60s / £12 students & under 18s Rebecca Evans Soprano Paul Charles Clarke Tenor An evening of operatic highlights from Welsh National Opera Orchestra, with music by Puccini, Verdi, Tchaikovsky and Lehar,
including excerpts from Tosca, La Traviata, Eugene Onegin and The Merry Widow. The performance also features sparkling overtures from Verdi’s La forza del destino, Rossini’s William Tell and other well loved classics.
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In the run up to their visit, WNO will be working with local schools to create digital content inspired by opera. A taste of this activity can be seen on the screen in Pontio’s public spaces alongside exquisite costumes and props from Welsh National Opera’s stores.
Comedy Drama
Tuesday, 27 June 8pm Pontio Comedy Club with Comedy Central Live presents
Danny McLoughlin TBC Craig Murray Studio ÂŁ10/ÂŁ8 concessions Age Guidance 16+ Join us for a night of laughs featuring three comedians on the UK touring circuit.
Drinks are permitted in the Studio at our Comedy Club events.
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Comedians are subject to change, see website for latest line up.
Music Event
Thursday, 29 and Friday, 30 June 7pm Ysgol Friars
Into the Woods Theatr Bryn Terfel ÂŁ10 We are pleased to welcome Ysgol Friars for their first production at Pontio! Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the
consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Rapunzel", and "Cinderella", as well as several others. The musical is tied together by a story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest
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to begin a family, their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them, and their interaction with other storybook characters during their journey.
Event
Saturday, 1 July 7pm Bangor Dance Studio
The Weird and Wonderful Theatr Bryn Terfel ÂŁ12 The Weird and Wonderful is the latest show from Bangor Dance Studio under the leadership of Ffion Williams. The Studio has been established for eleven years and is very much looking forward to its first performance in Theatr Bryn Terfel.
With a cast including members from 2 to 70 years old, performances will include everything from ballet and modern to tap, jazz, street, disco, latin and contemporary. A very warm welcome to everyone.
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Cinema Music
Monday, 10 July 7pm Glyndebourne 2017 (delayed live screening)
Hamlet Cinema £12/£10 concessions This brand new opera receives its world première during Glyndebourne 2017. Brett Dean, one of the most important composers of our time, re-stages Shakespeare’s best known tragedy and will cast the
familiar story of intrigue and revenge in a brand new light. The title role will be sung by Allan Clayton, who previously captivated Glyndebourne audiences in Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia. 39
Cinema
Angels in America Part 1, Millennium Approaches (15) Thursday 20 July 7pm Part 2, Perestroika(15) Thursday 27July 7pm Cinema £12 adults/£10 concessions (price for each screening) America in the mid-1980s. In the midst of the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell. Andrew Garfield (Silence, Hacksaw Ridge) plays Prior Walter along with a cast including Denise Gough (People, Places and Things), Nathan Lane (The Producers), James McArdle (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Russell Tovey (The Pass).
This new staging of Tony Kushner’s multi-award winning two-part play is directed by Olivier and Tony award winning director Marianne Elliott (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse). Part Two: Perestroika, will also be broadcast live on 27 July 2017.
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Pontio is very pleased to bring back its Gwledd Syrcas Feast for summer 2017. Following the success of the shows held in a giant Big Top on Beach Road, (FLOWN by Pirates of the Carabina in 2015 and BIANCO by NoFit State Circus in 2013) this year the headliners CIRCOLOMBIA come direct from Bogota to Bangor’s Theatr Bryn Terfel, bringing with them plenty of sunshine attitude and an infectious party vibe which will see the centre transformed into a fiesta between four walls!
Once again, Pontio’s Gwledd Syrcas Feast will aim to include the whole of the community in the celebrations, with local children taking part in a procession through the city, Storiel staging a circus-inspired exhibition, masterclasses, workshops and free events all taking place in the run-up to and over the first week of the summer holidays.
Check our website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for regular updates on the circus feast programme…and see you there! 42
Pirates of the Carabina will be in residency at Pontio in early July, and will be presenting an extract from their forthcoming new production R.U.H.M. as part of Syrcas Feast 2017. Alongside this the company will be offering Masterclasses in Counterweighting and Aerial for dancers, theatre practitioners and professional and emerging circus artists.
We’re also delighted to be bringing back Acrojou, and new commissions by Articulture. Vertical Dance Kate Lawrence will also perform Pontio arts meets science project SYNTHESIS in partnership with Ray Davies, In-Visible Light. The Circus Feast will provide inspiration to three artists in residence. The recent graduates from Coleg Menai’s Foundation Art and Design 43
course will create new and original work in response to the sights and sounds of the circus. Keep an eye on the glass case and screen in the public spaces which will become a sketchbook type space for the artists to share ideas and works in progress; a curated selection of work will be exhibited here throughout August.
Circus
Friday, 21 July 6pm & 8.30pm Saturday, 22 July 2pm & 7pm Sunday, 23 July 2pm & 7pm
“A sexy tangle of muscular limbs" Evening Standard
“An adrenalin-fuelled mix of strength, skill and daring – a great night out" Time Out
Circolombia
“Non-stop circus party that puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step" The Stage
Theatr Bryn Terfel £15/£10 concessions Circolombia took London’s Roundhouse by storm with their explosive debut show Urban and most recent production, Acelere. Pontio is very proud to bring Circolombia to Wales for the first time this summer.
Inspired by Colombia’s diverse communities, Acelere features 13 of the most talented performers from across Colombia, mixing spectacular circus with dance and an original soundtrack.
against the odds. The young company includes some of the most revered circus performers in the world. They’ve been on an incredible journey to be part of an even more incredible company.
This is no ordinary circus company. The sheer power of the performers, coupled with mind-boggling skill and a willingness to take terrifying risks on stage delivers world-class, gravitydefying performances that you’ll never forget.
Most of the artists trained and graduated at Colombia's National Circus School, Circo Para Todos (“Circus For All”). The world’s first professional circus school specifically dedicated to empowering children and young people succeeding
This show is great for families, although if you’re considering bringing younger children, please be aware that it features loud music throughout.
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60 minutes with no interval.
Event
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Cinema
Thursday 3 August 7pm Glyndebourne 2017 (live screening)
La Clemenza di Tito Cinema £12/£10 concessions Since its beginning, Glyndebourne has been synonymous with Mozart, introducing many of the composer’s operas to the UK for the first time. The 2017 cinema season concludes with a new
production of La Clemenza di Tito, not performed at Glyndebourne since 1999, which will see celebrated German director Claus Guth make his Glyndebourne debut. 46
Be an important part of our team Meet a diverse range of people Learn, develop and apply new skills
Gain recognition for the skills you develop and earn Bangor Employability Award XP points
Interested? volunteers@pontio.co.uk 01248 382666
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Pontio at Anglesey 2017 National Eisteddfod This summer, we welcome the National Eisteddfod up to north Wales and the Isle of Anglesey. With one of the largest cultural festivals in Europe on our doorstep, we’re very much looking forward to being part of this year’s cultural programme, from events on the Maes, our presence in Caffi’r Theatrau and two performances of ‘Llechi’, a very special collaboration by local performers inspired by the theme of slate.
Tuesday, 8 August 1pm, Ty Gwerin
Tuesday, 8 August 3pm, Cwt Drama
9Bach a ‘Llechi’
Rhyfel Troea, Drama Gymraeg
A special opportunity to delve deeper into LLECHI, the 9Bach and Pontio coproduction first staged back in April 2015 as part of Pontio’s opening programme, which will be restaged during the Eisteddfod in Theatr Bryn Terfel on 7 & 9 August. Enjoy a few songs, and ask 9Bach and their fellow performers about their fresh and innovative approach to coveying the significance and meaning of slate to a new generation.
A theatrical reading of highlights from one of Wales’ earliest plays, Troelus a Chresyd (c.1590). In the aftermath of a ferocious battle between the Trojans and the Greeks, can one woman survive? Is Cressida the author of her own misfortune or an innocent victim? With a talk which unveils the soul of the play, the mystery surrounding its author and the context it was written in. Q+A with Prof Jerry Hunter and Steffan Donnelly Invertigo Artistic Director. Presented by Invertigo Theatre Company, (Pontio’s associate company) Pontio and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. 48
Friday, 11 August Digital projections from ‘Caban’, a Pontio poetry project with local schools in memory of former Archdruid Emrys Roberts and his wife Megan, will appear around the Maes.
All week Llif, a project developed under Pontio’s Synthesis project bringing the arts and science together, will be part of the special TROELLI exhibition by Manon Awst in Y Lle Celf. On Thursday afternoon between 1-3pm there will be a creative Llif laboratory. All events through the medium of Welsh.
Music
Monday 7 August, 8pm Wednesday 9 August, 8pm Pontio and 9Bach present
Llechi Theatr Bryn Terfel £15/£13 Over 60s /£12 students & under 18s First performed as part of Pontio’s opening season in 2016 to a sell-out crowd, Llechi is a visual, musical and aerial collaboration, inspired by the theme of slate and the story of Bethesda, which has a worldwide resonance. It also acknowledges the quarrymen who, determined to build a better future for their children, contributed from their low incomes towards the founding of Bangor University.
9Bach are an alternative folk group that tour widely in the UK and internationally, and were recently nominated in the ‘Best Group’ category at the Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017, having scooped ‘Best Album for Tincian in 2015. Joining 9Bach on stage will be Lleuwen Steffan, Siân James, Caleb Rhys, Côr y Penrhyn, Vertical Dance Kate Lawrence, John Ogwen and poet Martin Daws.
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A special thanks to Guto ‘Cwm Idwal’ Roberts Ieuan Wyn Nebert Gaynor Elis-Williams Gwen Angharad Gruffudd Mared and Alan Jones Tim Cumine Storiel Bangor University Library
The restaging of the 9Bach / Pontio Llechi co-production is made possible due to the generous support of The Bangor Fund.
Music
Thursday, 31 August 7.30pm NT Live
Yerma(15) Cinema £12/£10 concessions The incredible Billie Piper (Penny Dreadful, Great Britain) returns in her Evening Standard Best Actress award-winning role. A young woman is driven to the unthinkable by her desperate desire to have a child in Simon Stone’s radical production of Lorca’s achingly powerful masterpiece.
"Billie Piper makes a shattering Yerma in Simon Stone’s inspired reworking of Lorca"
"A shatteringly powerful reinvention of a familiar classic" The Independent
The Observer
The unmissable theatre phenomenon sold out at the Young Vic and critics call it ‘an extraordinary theatrical triumph’ (The Times) and ‘stunning, searing, unmissable’ (Mail on Sunday). Billie Piper’s lead performance is described as ‘spellbinding’ (The Evening Standard), ‘astonishing’ (iNews) and 50
‘devastatingly powerful’ (The Daily Telegraph). Set in contemporary London, Piper’s portrayal of a woman in her thirties desperate to conceive builds with elemental force to a staggering, shocking, climax. Please note that this broadcast does not have an interval.
Coming in our autumn season
Thursday, 5 October, 8pm Friday, 6 October, 8pm Áine Flanagan Productions and Young Vic co-production
How To Win Against History Studio £12/£10 concessions Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquis of Anglesey, was one of the Earth's wealthiest men, until he lost it all by being too damn fabulous. Seiriol Davies's fierce, hilarious, tragi-gorgeous, ripped-up new musical about being too weird for the world (but
desperately not wanting it to forget you) was the solid gold, sparkly-diamondstudded hit of the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe. Wales and England tour to be announced. Bangor performances in collaboration with Pontio. 51
"A work of genius" The Daily Telegraph
"Gleeful, ludicrous - a larky collision of Gilbert & Sullivan and Monty Python" Time Out
"Deliriously entertaining" What's On Stage
Coming in our autumn season
Saturday, 28 October, 7.30pm Sunday, 29 October, 3pm
P.A.R.A.D.E. Theatr Bryn Terfel £14.50/£12.50 concessions Presented by National Dance Company Wales & Marc Rees Revolution is in the air. A spectacle is afoot. Dancers, musicians, artists and a renegade aerial robot unite to reimagine the Ballets Russes’ iconic 1917 staging of Parade, with its pioneering score by Erik Satie featuring a typewriter, foghorn and mop!
Interact with outdoor artistry before following the crowds and performers through to the stage, and immerse yourself in two modern, revolutionary dance performances. Join the P.A.R.A.D.E. In collaboration with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Dawns i Bawb. Age guidance: 8+ (no under 2s) 52
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General information Group Bookings We cater for groups and schools and can occasionally offer great discounts. Please contact our Box Office for more information on 01248 38 28 28. All bookings are subject to our standard terms and conditions. Please visit our website for more information https://www. pontio.co.uk/Online/term Postal Charges No booking fee will be charged when you buy tickets, but a ÂŁ1 mailing charge is applied if you request tickets by post. Tickets by post can only be requested until 10 days before the event to ensure they reach you on time. After this, all pre-bought tickets can be collected from the box office or printed at home.
Families Where a family ticket price is denoted, the offer is available to a group of four. A minimum of one member of the group must be under 18. Concessions Wherever concessions are denoted for Pontio events, the following categories are included in that definition, unless otherwise stated: students and those over 60. Children and young people include anyone under the age of 18. Children under 2 years of age go free. Hynt Access Scheme Art and culture is for everyone. If you have an impairment or a specific access requirement, often enjoying a visit to a theatre or an arts centre can be more complicated than just booking tickets and choosing what to wear.
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Hynt is a national scheme that works with theatres and arts centres across Wales to make things clear and consistent. Pontio is a part of the Hynt scheme as we believe it offers our customers the very best practice in fair ticketing policy and accessibility. Hynt is a Membership Card Hynt is a resource Hynt cardholders are entitled to a ticket free of charge for a personal assistant or carer at Pontio and all the theatres and arts centres participating in the scheme. Visit hynt.co.uk or www.hynt. cymru to find a range of information and guidance about the scheme.