Wednesday, April 15

Tag: Alys Williams

The Lighthouse – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

The Lighthouse – Traverse Theatre

There is no question that The Light House, written and performed by Alys Williams and directed by Andrea Heaton, arrives in Edinburgh with a strong reputation and a well honed touring confidence. This is a piece that knows exactly what it is doing, and, judging by the reaction in the room, it does it rather effectively for a good number of people.The subject matter, a relationship tested by suicidal ideation, is handled with care and clarity, and the production leans heavily into a theatrical language of puppetry, physical theatre, and audience interaction to carry its emotional weight. It is, in many ways, a carefully constructed machine designed to move its audience.And move them it does. I see visible tears in the auditorium, and a palpable sense of emotional release at the curtain call...
The Light House – Leeds Playhouse
Yorkshire & Humber

The Light House – Leeds Playhouse

A lone woman comes through the dry ice holding a lantern and looking serious. So, the initial thought is this one woman show is going to be a hour long misery fest. Thankfully it is the exact opposite as Alys Williams has written and performs a show that is warm, witty, always humane, but never afraid to delve into the challenges that mental health issues pose for those battling with their own minds, and for those around them. Cleverly she uses the standard protocol for what happens when a man goes overboard at sea as a metaphor for how society reacts when someone starts to struggle with their mental health, and it’s a motif she returns to throughout. What really gives The Light House resonance is Williams has based it on her own experience with a partner who does go overboard men...