Land Of My Fathers And Mothers And Some Other People
Pleasance Theatre
Reviewed – 6th November 2019
★★★★
“an unapologetically Welsh offering of the ‘no place like home’ tale”
What do you do when you’re greeted into the theatre by a man in a giant horse head and clothing emblazoned with the Welsh dragon? You realise you’re in for quite the ride. And that the show is most likely going to mention Wales. Just once or twice. Rhys Slade-Jones’ latest one-man cabaret is a lively and loveable mix of stand up, storytelling, and a good old fashioned sing song, which underneath the jokes and flamboyant presentation lies a heartfelt message.
Rhys Slade-Jones lives in metropolitan London, but originally he’s from the Welsh Valleys. He grew up in the small town of Treherbert, surrounded by mountains and closed down coal mines. Generations have gone about their lives very much in the same way even if the surrounding landscape has changed. But there’s one place that still stands as the pillar of the community: Treherbert Rugby Club. A place where the whole town gathers for every marriage, funeral, party, or Friday night shindig. A place where Rhys’ mam and dad fell in love. Reading extracts from his mam’s diary, from the summer of ’77, Rhys follows not just his own family history but also that of his birthplace.
Rhys’ love and admiration for his hometown is infectious to watch. It makes you want to joyously reminisce back to your own upbringing. There’s many references he makes that anyone, particularly of a similar working class background, will raise a wry smile of recognition to. As much as Slade-Jones fondly looks to the past, it’s rarely with rose-tinted glasses. He’ll offer a knowing look or catty comment that veers the performance away from being too sweet and sanguine.
Some of the shouting outbursts used for comic effect was unfortunately too intense for the small audience present. It needed a few more more bums on seats for the mock-rage to land properly and get the response it deserved. However, his moments of emotional intimacy or casual chatter to the audience work excellently for fewer numbers.
The simple use of an old-school projector, with photos of Rhys’ beloved family and the bastions of Treherbert helped to validate his storytelling and bring it far more to life. The retro technology is a nice nostalgic touch as Rhys relays of bygone eras.
The music also plays a big part – as you would expect from a boy from the Valley, who was in a Welsh choir – and is at times used very much like another character within the show. A medium that Rhys is able to bat off of and spark a memory or a joke from.
At the heart of this show it is shining a light on a community who are demanding not to be forgotten, even as businesses and services are closing down or being demolished around them. As much as jokes are made about Treherberts questionable gene pool, it is the close-knit solidarity of the town that is the coal that stokes their fire. Rhys proves that the old saying is quite correct: you can take the boy out of the Valley, but you can’t take the Valley out of the boy.
A vivid storyteller, unafraid to share the rough with the smooth, this is an unapologetically Welsh offering of the ‘no place like home’ tale.
Reviewed by Phoebe Cole
Land Of My Fathers And Mothers And Some Other People
Pleasance Theatre until 7th November
Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:
Children Of The Quorn | ★★★★★ | October 2019
Go To Hell! | ★★★★ | October 2019
Murder On The Dance Floor | ★★★ | October 2019
The Accident Did Not Take Place | ★★ | October 2019
The Fetch Wilson | ★★★★ | October 2019
The Hypnotist | ★★½ | October 2019
The Perfect Companion | ★★★★ | October 2019
The Unseen Hour | ★★★★ | October 2019
Heroin(e) For Breakfast | ★★★★★ | November 2019
Endless Second XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | ★★★★★ | November 2019
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