Sherman Theatre has announced the cast for its TEN series of short new online plays which brings together exceptional Welsh and Wales-based performers including familiar faces, established actors and emerging talent.
As the theatre world entered lockdown, Sherman Theatre thought about how it could continue to both provide its audiences with compelling theatre experiences and support artists. TEN is one of the projects which form part of the Interval programme created as a result of that thinking. Sherman Theatre selected ideas from ten Welsh and Wales-based writers who responded to a call out to submit a paragraph long pitch to create a one to five minute monologue. Actors were invited through an open call to express their interest in performing and self-filming those monologues, each working with a director. With that process complete Sherman Theatre is now ready to begin sharing these stories. Two plays will be released each week on Sherman Theatre’s website and on YouTube. The first two plays will become available at 2.00pm on 1 May.
Casting for TEN is as follows: Olatunji Ayofe (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Graduate 2020) in Dom’s Drug Prayer by Connor Allen, directed by Samantha Alice Jones
Rakie Ayola (On Bear Ridge Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre Wales, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child West End, Noughts + Crosses BBC) in Who Runs Towards A Fire? by Owen Thomas, directed by Hannah Noone
Gillian Elisa (Hidden/Craith BBC/S4C, Pobol y Cwm S4C) in Zip by Alun Saunders, directed by Alice Eklund
Heledd Gwynn (Hedda Gabler Sherman Theatre) in Y Rhyfelwraig by Elin Phillips, directed by Alice Eklund
Non Haf (Parch S4C and Hinterland BBC/S4C) in Love is Blind by Sarah Louise Madden, directed by Samantha Alice Jones
Lowri Izzard (Lord of the Flies Sherman Theatre and Theatr Clwyd) in Belly Buttons by Emma Cooney, directed by Samantha Alice Jones
Paisley Jackson (East 15 Acting School, BA Acting Graduate) in Comma by Kelly Jones, directed by Samantha Alice Jones
Mali Ann Rees (Tourist Trap BBC, Y Cylch Sialc Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, Craith/Hidden S4C/BBC) in (Single) Motherhood by Alexandria Riley, directed by Hannah Noone
Steffan Rhodri (A Very English Scandal BBC, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Gavin & Stacey BBC) in No Sleep ‘til Filton Abbey Wood by Rick Allden, directed by Hannah Noone
Catrin Stewart (Bang S4C / BBC, Doctor Who BBC, Stella Sky 1) in Love (and Loss) in the Time of Corona by Katie Elin-Salt, directed by Hannah Noone
Sherman Theatre has also announced that directors Alice Eklund (Constellations The Other Room/ British One Acts Festival), Samantha Alice Jones (Winners Nova) and Hannah Noone (Between Eternity and Time RWCMD/ Sherman Theatre, JMK/Sherman Theatre Directors Group supported by The Carne Trust) have been working remotely with the cast.
TEN has been made possible through a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor.
TEN is inspired by Papatango’s Isolated But Open programme.