Category: Wales
Date: 07.04.2005
Printable version
As reality shows seem to take over the TV world, an exciting new Â鶹Éç
Radio Cymru production takes an alternative view on this entertainment
form, with a thrilling stage show about the fickle world of reality
shows.
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Bringing together a cast from four Welsh schools in south east Wales,
Popdy is co-written by three leading lights in the
world of Welsh entertainment: writer and Radio Cymru presenter Hywel
Gwynfryn; singer and songwriter Caryl Parry Jones; and chaired poet
Tudur Dylan Jones.
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Musical director is Myfyr Isaac, Sara Lewis is the artistic director
and the voice coach is Betsan Perrett. The producer is Ceri Wyn Richards.
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The show premieres at the Bute Theatre at the Royal Welsh College of
Music and Drama on Tuesday 12 April and Wedneday 13 April and is broadcast
on Radio Cymru on Sunday 24 April at
9.45am.
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Pupils from Ysgol Bro Morgannwg, Barri, Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf, Cardiff,
Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, Pontypridd and Ysgol Plasmawr in Cardiff make
up the cast of this show, produced for Radio Cymru by Torpedo.
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An obvious parody of shows such as Pop Idol and Fame Academy, the Popdy
of the title is as an innovative centre created to encourage vocal talents.
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Six people win places there in order to hone and practise their skills,
with a view to appearing in the televised final round, at which one
will win the big competition.
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Popdy is a warts-and-all show, where the audience
is drawn into the personal worlds of the stage characters, the sympathy
and the scheming, the envy and the guilt, the love and the hate.
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This production of Popdy follows on from the success of previous Radio
Cymru musical shows.
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"This is the third musical that Radio Cymru has commissioned,"
says Aled Glynne Davies, Editor of Radio Cymru.
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"The first, Plas Du, was performed by school pupils in north west
Wales and the second, Grêt, by pupils in the north east. And now we've
travelled down to south east Wales.
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"The whole idea of this radio musical is to give pupils new opportunities
and, hopefully, a buzz whilst performing on stage.
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"Although they're radio musicals they have to work on stage as
well - and that will be a huge achievement! We hope that the cast of
Popdy will thoroughly enjoy the whole experience and that the audience
will also have an evening to treasure.
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"Radio Cymru believes strongly that it should work closely with
youngsters, not only with productions such as Popdy but also when preparing
programmes such as C2, a daily programme aimed at a young audience broadcast
between 8.00pm and 1.00am, Monday to Friday.
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"I'd like to thank the staff and pupils of Glantaf, Plasmawr,
Rhydfelen and Bro Morgannwg as well as everyone else connected with
the musical."
