September - December 2023 Artistic Brochure

What’s on September –December 2023

MonologAYE

Wednesday 6 September, 7.30pm

Studio

£4 - proceeds will go to Annedd Ni

MonologAYE is a new project by BLAS and came to life through many various projects between BLAS, Pobl i Bobl and North Wales Africa Society. It came to light that many people who live in Bangor have a story to tell – be that a personal story or a story about living in Bangor. This project aimed to

provide individuals with the tools to tell their story, and through a series of monologues, give a voice and platform to all the voices in Bangor’s communities.

Join us for a night of sharing in Pontio’s Studio – with performances of the MonologAYE!

THEATR CLWYD PRESENTS

Fleabag

Friday 15 + Saturday 16 September, 7.30pm

Studio

£15 / £13

A new Welsh language adaptation of the hit show!

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s award-winning comedic play Fleabag, adapted into Welsh by acclaimed writer Branwen Davies.

This filthy, funny, unfiltered show follows a Welsh woman’s chaotic journey towards having nothing to lose.

She may seem oversexed, emotionally raw and self-obsessed, but that’s the tip of the iceberg. With relationships straining and a guinea pig café struggling, she’s on the edge with seemingly nowhere to go.

FARA

Friday 22 September, 8pm

£18 / £15

Fusing the talents of three fine Orcadian fiddlers and vocalists - Jeana Leslie, Catriona Price and Kristan Harveyalongside stand-out Highland pianist and

The Trials of Cato

Friday 13 October, 8pm

£16 / £15

BBC Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe hails them as “one of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times.” Their debut album, Hide and Hair, gained attention in national publications, receives repeated national airplay on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, and won Best Album at the 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Pererin

Friday 10 November, 8pm

£15 / £13

Don’t miss the popular 80s folk band, Pererin in a one-off live performance at our Cabaret Pontio series. Joining the band will be Tecwyn Ifan and Osian Huw Williams.

newest member Rory Matheson, FARA have firmly secured their foothold at the forefront of the Scottish folk scene since taking 2014’s Orkney Folk Festival by storm.

Bridget Christie Who Am I?

Thursday 28 September, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£20

Bridget Christie is hot, but not in a good way. The 51-year-old critically-acclaimed stand-up leaks blood, sweats, and thinks that Chris Rock is the same person as The Rock. The Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award winning comedian cannot ride the motorbike she bought to combat

her mid-life crisis because of early osteoarthritis in her hips and RSI in her wrist. It’s a menopause laugh-a-minute with a confused, furious, sweaty lady who is annoyed by everything.

Graffiti Classics

Friday 29 September, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£15 / £13

16 strings, 8 dancing feet and 4 voices with 1 aim: to make classical music wickedly funny and fantastically exhilarating for everyone, young and old. Graffiti Classics burst the elitist boundaries of the traditional string quartet with their hilarious all-singing, all-dancing musical comedy show. It's a classical concert, a gypsy-folk romp, an opera, a stand-up comedy set and a brilliant dance show all rolled into one!

From Beethoven to Bluegrass, Baroque to Pop, Mozart or Offenbach to Elvis, Strauss to Saturday Night Fever, there really is something for everyone and Graffiti Classics never fail to get audiences laughing, clapping and singing along. Kids and adults alike love the uplifting and virtuosic variety of musical styles, all tied together with cheeky audience interaction. Suitable for all ages.

Horrible Histories: BARMY BRITAIN

Saturday 30 September, 2pm + 6pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

Adults: £18 / Children: £15

Family Ticket of 4: £60

Family Ticket of 5: £75

Tickets selling fast

We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyone is dead!

So BARMY BRITAIN is back with the hit West End show, full of crazy new characters and rude new rulers from Britain's barmy past!

CWPL

Saturday 30 September, 8pm

Studio

£10.50 / £8.50

Cwpl is a show that looks at the experience of being contemporary Welsh people through the eyes of Leila Navabi and Priya Hall. Using comedy, music and storytelling they both invite the audience to experience what it’s like to be a couple of queer and female people of colour,

Will you be conquered by William? Will you sink or swim with King Henry I? Go house hunting with Henry VIII! Join the gorgeous Georgians as they take over England! Break into Buckingham Palace and hide from the Queen Victoria!

Britain's favourite history show is back! It’s history with the nasty bits left in!

trying to create a different kind of family in Wales today.

This is a commission by Creu Gyda Balchder, a Mas ar y Maes gyda Balchder network, funded by Arts Council Wales' Connect and Flourish fund.

LEILA NAVABI AND PRIYA HALL

Bangor University Concerts

Gaynor Cemlyn Jones Trust Music Prize

Monday 2 October, 12pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

Free but ticketed

Lunchtime recital by Bangor University post-graduate Music students.

Bangor University Symphony Orchestra

Saturday 18 November, 7pm

Prichard-Jones Hall, Bangor University

£5 - £12

Classical concert with the symphony orchestra, conducted by Joe Cooper featuring a programme of Symphony No.2 by Brahms, Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto and Robert Schumann's Genoveve Overture.

Bangor University Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

Saturday 9 December, 7pm

Prichard-Jones Hall, Bangor University

£5 - £12

Kick start your Christmas celebrations with a festive concert by Bangor University's Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, with a programme featuring the much loved The Snowman by Howard Blake, The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky, Fantasia on Christmas

Carols by Vaughan Williams and William Mathias' Ave Rex.

Sunday, 20 August

Sunday, 08 October

Sunday, 29 October

Sunday, 26 November

bangor.ac.uk/openday

Alandale Trio:

J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations

Tuesday 10 October, 8pm

Studio

£7.50 - £16

Andrew Harvey, violin

Alex Mitchell, viola

Alex Holladay, cello

We’re delighted to welcome the Alandale Trio, formed of members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra to our Studio theatre this Autumn for an intimate

concert following the Philharmonic Orchestra's sell-out concert in June.

Performing J.S. Bach’s stunning Goldberg Variations as part of their repertoire, make sure to book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

A NEW DARK COMEDY BY SHÔN DALE-JONES

Cracking

Thursday 12 October, 7.30pm

Studio

£16 / £13

CRACKING is a dark and comic story about love and hatred, and celebrates how searching for connection beats disconnecting. It’s a heart-warming and uplifting comic story that blends fiction and reality into one seamless whole.

14+

Dan Nightingale’s Special

Friday 20 October, 7.30pm

Studio

£16 / £14

Sold out!

Dan has spent the last two years changing the comedy industry from the inside out, paving new career paths for himself and many others; whilst being one half of the smash-hit podcast Have A Word.

16+

Dreamcoat Stars

Friday 20 October, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£25

Featuring stars from the hit production Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

This colourful production is packed with vibrant and energetic songs from the nation’s most loved musicals including Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar, SIX, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Moulin Rouge and more. Draw back the curtains, sing along and relive all your favourite productions in one epic show.

Catrin

Finch

& Aoife Ní Bhriain

Friday 27 October, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£20

Aoife and Catrin form a formidable virtuoso duo, eager to explore a musical world of creative possibility, challenge, and discovery, inspired by a multitude of influences and linked by the cultures of their home countries. Their debut public performances at Other Voices Cardigan in November 2022 drew rapturous audience acclaim. Their extraordinary and original new material will be released on their debut album, Double You, on 27 October 2023.

Half Term!

Wifi Wars

Wednesday 1 November, 3.30pm (6+) + 7pm (12+)

Cinema

£7.50 - £10

Family Ticket for 4: £30

WiFi Wars returns with the live comedy game show where you all play along! Log in with your smartphone or tablet and compete in a range of games, puzzles and quizzes to win the show, and prizes!

Hosted by comedian Steve McNeil (team captain on UK TV's hit comedy/gaming show "Dara O’Briain’s Go 8 Bit") and aided by Guinness World-Record-Breaking tech whizz, the award-winning Rob Sedgebeer!

THEATR IOLO PRESENTS

Teulu Pontio: Owl at Home

Saturday 4 November, 11.30am + 2.30pm

Studio

£7.50 / £26 Family Ticket

Owl lives alone in a cosy little home in a hollow tree in the woods. With no one to talk to, Owl sings to himself and looks for ways to pass the time. He wonders about things a lot. What will happen if he invites winter into his home? And can he be in two places at once?

An enchanting tale with music, Owl at Home shows us how friendship can be found in the most unlikely of places.

Age guidance: 5 - 11

Open7 Days a Week

SINEMA CINEMA

PONTIO BANGOR

Ticket Prices: £5.50 - £7.50

70 showings a month

1 stage for the best in live opera and theatre

Monthly cinema programme - pick up in the centre

Weekly email bulletins:

Sign up at www.pontio.co.uk

Mon-Wed at 2pm £5.00

Afternoon Films only

DAS RHEINGOLD

Wednesday 20 September, 7.15 pm

Director Barrie Kosky joins forces with conductor Antonio Pappano in a bold new imagining of the first chapter of Wagner's Ring cycle.

DON QUIXOTE

Tuesday 7 November, 7.15 pm

Teeming with comedy, wit and an abundance of bravura choreography, Carlos Acosta's production brings the Spanish heat and romance of Cervantes' classic novel to life.

L’ELISIR D’AMORE

Thursday 5 October, 7.15 pm

Expect sun, fun and vocal acrobatics in Laurent Pelly’s much-loved staging of Donizetti’s intoxicating and witty comedy.

THE NUTCRACKER

Tuesday 12 December, 7.15 pm

Sunday 17 December, 2.15 pm

Discover the enchantment of ballet with this sparkling festive treat for the whole family.

Rhinoseros

Wednesday 1 + Thursday 2 November, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£12 - £16

by Eugène Ionesco

Welsh adaptation by Manon Steffan Ros

Filled with unexpected humour and nightmarish tension, Rhinoseros is a commentary on society, extremism and how hatred can spread like a virus. As relevant now as ever, this absurdist

Yn Blwmp ac yn Blaen

Friday 17 + Saturday 18 November, 7.30pm

Studio

£12 / £10

To celebrate reaching 70, Cefin Roberts is venturing back on stage, this time, of his own accord, and on his own. Having performed Y Dyn Gwyn by Aled Jones Williams as part of Theatr Bara Caws's Lleisiau Triology during lockdown, now you can see it live in Pontio's Studio theatre.

masterpiece by Eugène Ionesco comes to Welsh stages in its first Welsh language adaptation by Manon Steffan Ros under the direction of Steffan Donnelly.

Watch out – the rhinoceroses are coming!

Following the performance, Aled Jones Williams will join Cefin to launch and read a few chapters from his autobiography, Yn Blwmp ac yn Blaen.

22 – 25 November, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£12 - £18

A dispersed kingdom. A corrupt monarchy. A new generation desperate for change.

Branwen: Dadeni is an epic Welsh language musical which brings one of our most well-known legends into the contemporary world. After a bloody civil war, the Llŷr family controls Cedyrn. Branwen, the charismatic young princess who has won the people’s hearts, is eager to move her country forward, but her brother, the king, won’t listen.

During an unexpected visit by the King of Ireland, she sees her opportunity: escape to a progressive and prosperous country where her voice will count and she’ll have the power to change things. But, as her star rises, every bargain, betrayal and body leads her deeper into the darkness, until, on the brink of ruin, the price becomes clear.

What would you sacrifice to create a just world?

A new musical by Wales Millennium Centre and Frân Wen which reimagines the iconic story, with Gethin Evans directing an outstanding cast of performers and musicians.

Book by Hanna Jarman, Elgan Rhys and Seiriol Davies

Music and lyrics by Seiriol Davies

Supported by funding from the Arts

Council of Wales through the National Lottery

13+

FRÂN WEN AND WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE PRESENTS

The Catwalk

DECEPTION JUST GOT FASHIONABLE

Wednesday 29 November, 7pm Theatr Bryn Terfel

£4.50 - £20 (Family Ticket available)

A show invented by the members of BLAS. An inventive show by the BLAS Hŷn crew. The show will be based on the ideas of the children in the weekly BLAS workshops, with Mared Elliw Huws, Gwion Aled Williams, Manon Gwynant and Sarah Mumford bringing the ideas together.

Keep an eye out for more events, film screenings, exhibition launches and workshops on our website and social media.

TIR, Stream of Consciousness

Thursday 30 November, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£13 / £11

Ballet Cymru presents a sparkling evening of the finest dance.

Cerys Matthews’ iconic album of Welsh Folk Music is the inspiration for TIR, and choreographers Darius James OBE and Amy Doughty have used 11 of the songs from the album to create a unique work especially for the dancers of Ballet Cymru.

Ballet Cymru Resident Choreographer Marcus J Willis brings to stage the reimagining of his choreographic

A Christmas Carol – A Live Radio Play

Friday 1 December, 7pm Studio

£15 / £13

Lighthouse Theatre returns this winter with a live radio play version of the perennial Dickens’ classic tale, A Christmas Carol

work, Stream of Consciousness, first premiered by Ailey II in 2016. Stream of Consciousness gives physical life to our inner thoughts. Willis weaves six simple gestures into “the stream,” the tumultuous monologue within each person’s mind. Set to a contemporary reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Max Richter, this work echoes the tension and poignancy of the music’s ever-changing tides.

8+

– a play to delight the young and old alike full of festive feeling, ghostly encounters, hardship and redemption.

Dvořák 8 with Ryan Bancroft

Friday 1 December, 7.30pm

Prichard-Jones Hall, Bangor University

£5 - £20 - Family tickets available

Hannah Kendall Spark Catchers

Glazunov Violin Concerto

Dvořák Symphony No. 8

Ryan Bancroft conductor

Ben Beilman violin

Principal Conductor Ryan Bancroft joins us on the road again this autumn, kicking off the programme with Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers. From its vigorous liveliness and rhythmic drive to its brooding melodies and distinguished gleaming delicacy, the work is based on Lemn Sissay’s wonderfully dynamic and vibrant poem of the same name.

Glazunov’s Violin Concerto, although written over a century before Hannah Kendall’s work, portrays a similar lyricism and rhythmic liveliness. Combining soloistic virtuosity with deep emotion and lyrical expression, moods, tempos and dynamics shift between movements to create the whole. Dvořák reflects sheer joy of the natural world in his equally rhythmic and melodious Eighth Symphony. Low, dark chorales give way to heroic woodwind solos, melancholic eloquence give way to dance tinged joy in this rousingly dramatic symphony.

Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time

Wednesday 6 December, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£27.50

Attributed to Mark Twain, humour is defined as Tragedy Plus Time. Come and join Ed as he tests that formula by mining the most tragic event in his life for laughs.

14+

Llŷr Williams

Thursday 7 December, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£5 - £20

Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams is widely admired for his profound musical intelligence, and for the expressive and communicative nature of his interpretations. He has performed with all the major UK orchestras and has a particularly longstanding relationship with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with whom he has in recent seasons

Tickets selling fast

performed concertos ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Bartók and Mathias. He also regularly performs in recital at venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Perth Concert Hall, and the St David’s and Dora Stoutzker Halls in Cardiff, and the Edinburgh and East Neuk Festivals.

Saturday 9 December, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£23

The Elton John Show is the UK’s newest and most exciting Elton John tribute show to hit the stage.

With over 300 million records sold, Sir Elton John is the most successful singersongwriter of his generation. A flamboyant mega-star, with a never-ending back catalogue of incredible songs! From Rocket Man to Tiny Dancer, The Elton John Show brings “Young Elton” back to the stage at his energetic best. Standing gig, with some limited seating available on the night.

Friday 15 December, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£18 / £15

Tickets selling fast

Join Welsh of the West End for an intimate night of festive music, featuring musical theatre favourites and Christmas classics. Featuring performers from shows such as Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked; this exclusive concert in Pontio’s Theatr Bryn Terfel promises to be a night not to be missed!

YSGOL TRYFAN PRESENTS

MELA

Wednesday 13 + Thursday 14 December, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£15 / £10

The school is closed for the summer and the youngsters are ready to enjoy the holidays. But...the rich businessman, Mr Harry Valentine, has had enough. He owns the youth club and wants to close the organisation. Is there a way for the youth

to keep the building and the resource? Is there a way to get the best of Mr Valentine? Does he have a secret that he doesn’t want anyone to know about? Come and enjoy Ysgol Tryfan’s presentation of the comic and dramatic unfolding story!!

BLAS is Pontio’s Youth participation programme and gives children and young people a ‘taste’’ (‘blas’ in Welsh) of the arts.

WEEKLY DRAMA WORKSHOPS

Weekly drama and performance workshops to develop confidence, stage presence, performance skills and to enjoy!

Mondays

5.00pm-6.00pm Year 3 and 4 6.15pm–7.15pm Year 5 and 6

Wednesdays

6.30pm-7.30pm Year 7, 8 and 9 7.15pm-8.15pm Year 10 - 13

Cost: £25 a term (discount is available for residents of LL57 1)

The workshops will be held mainly through the medium of Welsh. You don't have to be fluent, and we welcome everyone of all linguistic abilities.

For more information please contract

Mared Huws: m.huws@bangor.ac.uk

BLAS projects

Hirael and Beddgelert

BLAS has just started a creative community project that runs in two places, Beddgelert and Hirael. If you are someone in these areas, or have someone there and would like to join please contact Mared on m.huws@bangor.ac.uk

Mid-Wales Opera

Huge congratulations to the young chorus group in Bangor for their special performance in Mid Wales Opera's production of the opera Hansel and Gretel. It was a thrilling experience for the crew to be part of this special opera and to sing on stage with renowned singers.

"I've never seen an opera before and the first one I see, I'm in it!"

Many thanks to Manon Llwyd and Annette Bryn Parri for their hard work preparing the crew for the performance! This is an experience that will be treasured for life.

Y Cwmwl / The Cloud

The BLAS Team is extremely proud of the BLAS Bach crew who performed their inventive show Cwmwl / The Cloud back in May. This is the first time 98% of the cast performed on the Bryn Terfel stage and they were fantastic!

It was nice to have Christopher's company backstage as well. Christopher was one of the first mambers of BLAS back in 2008, and remained a member until 2020. This year BLAS hired him to work on the BLAS Bach show.

Ysgol Pendalar

BLAS worked with Ysgol Pendalar, creating masterpieces for Ballet Cymru's production of Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs with artist Manon Dafydd, dancer Angharad Harrop, poet Buddug Roberts and supported by Mali Elwy - read more about Mali below.

Trainee Tutors

A training program supporting young people to shadow a practitioner and teams who are doing great work in the arts engagement world.

Mali Elwy

Hello! I'm Mali Elwy and I'm a Welsh student at Bangor University. Recently I've had the pleasure of working as a trainee tutor in Pontio with the BLAS team. This is a brand new experience for me, and in my short time with the team, I’ve had the privilege of working on some very special projects. I love the way this team gives children and young people in the area a chance to get to grips with the world of arts from a young age, and the varied opportunities that BLAS offers them. They are so lucky to have a project like this in their area, and I feel very lucky to be a small part of it.

Marie-Pascale Onyeagoro-Okonkwor

My name is Marie-Pascale OnyeagoroOkonkwor. I studied MSc Clinical and Health Psychology at Bangor University. I worked with Bangor Blas for the first time as a trainee tutor on a book project by North Wales African Society. I decided to have some real experiences in the community and beyond the borders of Bangor before proceeding with a PhD. I believe the experiences will give me focused direction to a higher degree.

Working with Pontio Blas has expanded my horizons to explore more exciting grounds like writing monologues, formally learning Welsh, starting up a business, participating in art exhibitions and cultural activities, and many more contributions to the community. The best part is that my daughters who participated in the book project have started writing with amazing confidence, and hopefully, publishers will push their dreams to awesomeness.

ART

September – December 2023

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

PAUL R JONES + DATAMOSH

October 2023

A hybrid installation in Pontio’s public spaces to coincide with the IKT Congress 2023 on Art & Advanced Technologies

BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Until end of September

A playful, multimedia exhibition with artworks by Ella Jones, Esyllt Lewis, Mia Roberts and Gwenllian Spink

REBECCA F HARDY

November – December 2023

‘That which fades’

nights on our social media.

A presentation of the artist’s creative research in the form of drawings, screen-prints, photography, film and installations.

Workshops

Lunch on the Fly

Every other Monday, 12pm

£6.50 / £48 for 8 sessions

16+

Dance For Parkinson's

Tuesdays, 1.30pm

£3.50

Suitable for anyone living with Parkinson’s

Caffi Babis

First Friday of the Month, 10am

£3

Suitable for children

upto 24 months old

To come in 2024…

Scott Bennett: Great Scott

Saturday 3 February, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£15

Recently described by the Evening Standard as “Live Comedy’s best kept secret” Scott Bennett has been blazing a trail through the stand-up circuit for the best part of a decade. He’s written for many high profile acts such as Chris Ramsey and Jason Manford, and recently recorded his debut on BBC One’s Live at the Apollo. In massive demand as a comedy writer and with regular appearances on BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz and The Now Show, Scott is an act on the verge of breaking through into the big time.

The Fureys

Thursday 4 April, 7.30pm

Theatr Bryn Terfel

£24

When The Fureys make their eagerly awaited return, they will treat their audience to one of popular music’s richest legacies.

They are one of Ireland’s all-time most acclaimed and influential middle of the road, folk and traditional bands. Furey’s classics like I Will Love You, When You Were Sweet 16, Red Rose Café, Leaving Nancy, The Old Man, From Clare to Here and The Green Fields of France have become the soundtrack to the lives of fans all over the world.

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

£1 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 unless stated otherwise.

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 Card

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.

A resource for teaching, research, public education and enjoyment

Treborth Botanic Garden comprises planted borders, species-rich natural grasslands, ponds, arboretum, Chinese Medicinal garden, ancient woodland, and a rocky shoreline habitat Six glasshouses provide specialised environments for tropical, temperate, orchid and carnivorous plant collections

We organise regular talks, plant sales, specialist workshops, crafts and more!