Mold Riots @ Theatr Clwyd

October 2019

A cast of 100 take to the streets of Mold to tell the story of the famous Mold Riots which took place in the town 150 years ago in 1869.

Mold Riots was an ambitious outdoor production around the town of Mold, recounting one of the most famous and tragic events in the town’s history.

Written by Bethan Marlow, Mold Riots covers the events of the summer fo 1869 when riots erupted outside the trial of a number of local miners who stood accused of attacking their collier manager when their wages were lowered.

Tensions had been building for a while, with English colliers seemingly favoured over the local Welsh colliers and the repression of Welsh in the mines.

CAST

Robat - Gethin Alderman

David - Kai Owen

Ailis - Amy Forrest

Margaret - Lauren Fitzpatrick

Other roles played by the community.

Creatives

Directed by Katie Posner

Composer: Lucy Rivers

Design: Sarah Thomas

Lighting Designer: Ben Cowens

Movement Director: Natasha Harrison

Fight Director & Intimacy Coordinator: Bethan Clark

Casting Director: Jacob Sparrow

Press Reviews:

★★★★

“An impressive feat, technically and theatrically…The evening’s greatest strength was a clear sense of collective ownership that the performers have of the work – both the story and its telling…a persuasive act of recognition, allowing us, if only temporarily, to occupy the streets and stand in places where usually we cannot, to hear the stories that would otherwise have been unheard.”

Gareth Llŷr Evans - The Guardian

—

“Theatr Clwyd has taken a typically bold decision to mark the 150th anniversary of the Mold Riots by staging an ambitious outdoor production that takes you right to the heart of the issues that led to the death of four people in the town in 1869…The final scenes in and around the Church of St. Mary were well played… a fitting ending to a hugely successful enterprise. Whilst the remembrance of the outrageous events 150 years ago is vital, what is more important is the community coming together in an effort that will live long ion the memory.”

Dave Jennings - British Theatre Guide

—

★★★★★

“The Mold Riots is a creative and convincing piece of community theatre which is taking place on the streets of the town… Director Katie Posner and her team have created an inspired stage for the action – from the High Street to the cattle market via the council chamber on film to St Mary’s Church in its imposing position, overlooking the town…The child actors are fantastic, the singing is glorious, the setting beautiful.  The rest of the run, until October 26, is sold out. If there is a black market for tickets, make sure you know the right people.”

Angela Ferguson - We Are Chester

—

★★★★★

“Mold Riots is a fantastic outdoor production that keeps you engaged, entertained and informed throughout the duration of its 90-minute run time… Ahead of the play, I discovered that Mold Riots is a bilingual play, some parts are in English, others in Welsh, other scenes have a bit of both.

As someone who does not speak a word of Welsh, this was a concern for me as I was worried that I wouldn’t follow what was going on. However, to the credit of the writing and once again the acting, I never found myself lost or confused for a second, and despite minutes of dialogue being spoken in a language that I couldn’t understand, through emotion and gesticulation, I was able to follow every step of the story.

…The show was well worth a watch”

Liam Gotting - The Leader