Excited. Thrilled. Haunted, Proud. Intrigued. Delighted.
Last night’s one-man drama by Daniel Llewellyn-Williams has left me reeling. It’s a tour de force of writing and acting. The stars are Daniel, Newport and the extraordinary unique drama of the city’s tide – the second highest in the world.
A Regular Little Houdini is a tale of hero-worship of a great magician and publicist and a re-telling of folk memories of great Newport events from 1905 to 1913 set in the heart of Pillgwenlly.
Daniel is great storyteller. His writing is incisive, rich in drama and poetic insights. He is a brilliant actor, convincing as all seven characters depicted from the gauche schoolboy to the suave Houdini.
It’s a rare treat to hear the intonations and oddities of the Newport accent on stage. The continuous thread running through the performance is the threat and thrill of the mighty Newport Usk Tide. The vast rise and fall was a stage for Houdini, giving life, work and beauty for Newportonians and a harbinger of tragedies and death.
I would love to hear that all Newport’s schoolchildren would have a chance to see Daniel’s show. They will be fascinated with great stories of our city’s recent past and witness the hard gritty lives of their ancestors. The moving account of the great tragedy of 1913 is an emotional trauma. The delicious humour of working class Pillgwenlly is a restoring balm.
All Newportonians, worthy of the name, will take pride in this slice of our vivid history presented by talented writer/actor who is product of our fine schools.
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