6 Theatre Lend me your laughs


Friday, May 8, 2015 Follow us on Twitter @Argus_The Guide Greek tragedy in city


LAUGHS GALORE: The Reduced Shakespeare Company take to the stage Picture: Andy Fallon


FOLLOWING a hugely suc- cessful, critically acclaimed season at the Edinburgh Fes- tival Fringe 2014, the Reduced Shakespeare Company is cur- rently touring the UK and will bring tears of laughter to Blackwood Miners Institute on Thursday. The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) is far more affordable than tickets to an amusement park, but you’ll still come away with the same feeling of nausea and motion sickness. From cavemen tell- ing “rock rock” jokes to Chris Rock and everything in-be- tween, the company leaves no joke untold as it deconstructs the entire history of comedy in 90 rollicking minutes. The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man com- edy troupe that takes serious


subjects and reduces them to short, sharp comedies. Since 1981, “The Bad Boys


of Abridgement” have creat- ed nine stage shows, two tele- vision specials, several failed TV pilots and numerous ra- dio pieces – all of which have been performed, seen, heard and translated into Klingon the world over. The company’s first three


shows were London’s longest- running comedies, and at one point it had more shows run- ning in the West End than An- drew Lloyd Webber. The company was last seen


on a four-month UK tour with The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) at the start of 2014. Call 01495 227206 or visit www.your.caerphilly.gov.uk for ticket details.


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Drama graduate Sophie Melville in rehearsal for her role as Efie in Iphigenia in Splott


GREEK drama and the fa- mous Splott area of Cardiff are not the most obvious of bedfellows. But that hasn’t stopped


award-winning Welsh play- wright Gary Owen bringing these diverse worlds togeth- er.


Iphigenia in Splott, at the


Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, in May, is a powerful new one-woman play, which ex- plores the impact of welfare cuts, fusing coarse poetry with the language intrinsic to Splott, while illuminating and re-imagining the time- less tale of Agamemnon’s tragic daughter. Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama graduate Sophie Melville, fresh from


playing Juliet in the Sher- man Cymru’s recent Romeo and Juliet, stars as Effie as she goes through her days in a careless spiral of drink, drugs and drama. Sherman Cymru’s artistic director Rachel O’Riordan said: “We can’t wait to see her bring Gary Owen’s tough strong-willed Effie to the stage.” Iphigenia in Splott opens


at Sherman Theatre, Car- diff, on May 8, at 7.30pm, and runs until May 16, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £15, concessions: £2 off, under-25s: half price. To book, call 029 2064 6900 or visit shermancymru.co.uk. The performance contains strong language and scenes of an adult nature.


Showpromises plenty of laughs


FROM the team that brought you Hot Flush! comes Sex in Suburbia, a brand new show about dating and men. Co-written


by Claire


Sweeney, who also stars as herself, it’s a production that “had the audience in stitch- es” (clickliverpool.com). Penny Crowe is the host of


a late-night radio phone-in and as Britain ’s leading ago- ny aunt, she takes calls about every date from hell and the occasional one from heaven. She is more than happy to dish out relationship advice, but is she as happy to take it…?


I’m Every Woman, I Want


to Break Free and Somebody Else’s Guy are just some of the sensational songs in this hilarious play, based on real stories from real women. Audience members must be


16 or over, as the show con- tains some strong language and adult themes. Sex in Suburbia is at the


New Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets are priced from


£10 to £26. For further details about the show or to book tickets visit newtheatrecar diff.co.uk or call the box of- fice on 02920 878889.


COMEDY: Sex in Surburbia


TREADING THE BOARDS: Royal Welsh College of Music and


STAGE ADAPTATION: Iphigenia in Splott is a powerful new one-woman play based on a Greek tragedy


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