Hard Times Today

They must have read Dickens! 

Introducing the Hard Times Company: Cast Member Non Haf

Originally from the Vale of Clwyd in North Wales, Non trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Her theatre credits include The Nether (Company of Sirens), Nid Fi/Not Me (Arad Goch), Pinocchio (Black Rat Theatre), Aberystwyth Mon Amour, The Chimes (Lighthouse Theatre), The Storyhunters (Clwyd Theatr Cymru), Blodeuwedd (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru), Rosie's War/Ac Abertawe'n Fflam, We Need Bees/Gwobr y Gwenyn Gweithgar (Theatr Na nOg), Trywerynws (Cwmni Mega), and several workshops and readings for Sherman Cymru and Dirty Protest Theatre.

Her TV and radio credits include Casualty (BBC Cymru Wales), Hinterland (BBC Cymru Wales/S4C/Fiction Factory), Parch, Lan a Lawr (Boom Cymru), Being Human (Touchpaper/BBC3), Rhosod (BBC Radio Cymru), as well as several voiceovers and audiobooks.

CHARACTER INSIGHT: Mr. Gradgrind -- Proprietor of the model school, later MP

Adrian Metcalfe (Cast Member of Hard Times)

‘Now, what I want is, Facts.  Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts.  Facts alone are wanted in life.  Plant nothing else, and root out everything else.  You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them.  This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children.  Stick to Facts, sir!’

from Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Circus "Play"

In Hard Times, the circus is the embodiment of the creative, instinctive, playful spirit that is being crushed in the Victorian world. Dickens saw very clearly the threat that this posed to society a century and half ago. Can we draw parallels in current attempts to drive up standards at the cost of engagement in the arts?

Introducing the Hard Times Company: Director Joe Harmston

Joe is currently preparing to direct The Trial of Jane Fonda with Anne Archer at The Park Theatre. In the last few years, his phenomenally successful Agatha Christie Theatre Company has been playing to packed houses and critical approval around the UK.  He has directed over 80 productions around the world and forged associations with some of British theatre’s most significant voices including Harold Pinter, Michael Frayn, Trevor Nunn, Peter Hall,  Ronald Harwood, Peter Ustinov and Bill Kenwright.  He is in constant demand not only as a director, but also as a consultant on new writing projects and has directed the world premieres of several plays and musicals (most recently the five-star-reviewed The Prodigals: A Man Had Two Sons at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival). Highlights of his career have been The Lover and The Collection which he directed at The Donmar Warehouse starring their writer, Harold Pinter.

Hard Times Producer's Blog

Interested in learning more about the journey from the page to the full production?

Follow this blog from our producer/cast member, Adrian Metcalfe:

http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profiles/blog/show?id=3152760%3ABlogPost%3A269400

HARD TIMES AUTUMN 2017 TOUR DATES

"Now what I want is facts...."

Thursday 9th November 2017 Dydd Iau 9 Tachwedd	12.30pm/yp, 7.30pm/yh Pontardawe Arts Centre Tel/Ffôn: 01792 863722
Friday 10th November 2017 Dydd Gwener 10 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, RedHouse Cymru, Merthyr Tel/Ffôn: 01685 384111
Saturday 11th November 2017 Dydd Sadwrn 11 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, Newbridge Memo, Tel/Ffôn: 01495 243252
Wednesday 15th November 2017 Dydd Mercher 15 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, Aberystwyth Arts Centre Tel/Ffôn: 01970 623232
Friday 17th November 2017 Dydd Gwener 17 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh Neuadd y Dderwen, Rhosygilwen Tel/Ffôn: 01239 841387
Wednesday 22nd November 2017 Dydd Mercher 22 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli. Tel/Ffôn: 01758 704088
Thursday 23rd November 2017 Dydd Iau 23 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, Pavilion Mid Wales, Llandrindod Tel/Ffôn: Wells 01597 258118
Friday 24th November 2017 Dydd Gwener 24 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, The Hafren, Newtown Tel/Ffôn: 01686 614555
Saturday 25th November 2017 Dydd Sadwrn 25 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, DTTheatre, Swansea
Sunday 26th November 2017 Dydd Sul 26 November	2.30pm/yp, DTTheatre, Swansea Tel/Ffôn: 01792 473238
Wednesday 29th November 2017 Dydd Mercher 29 Tachwedd	7.30pm/yh, Grand Pavilion, Stage Door, Porthcawl Tel/Ffôn: 01656 815995
Thursday 30th November 2017 Dydd Iau 30 Tachwedd Friday 1st December 2017 Dydd Gwener 14 Rhagfyr	7.30pm/yh, Y Tabernacl, Machynlleth 01654 703355 7.30pm/yh The Miners, Ammanford Tel/Ffôn: 0845 226 3510
Saturday 2nd December 2017 Dydd Sadwrn 2 Rhagfyr	7.30pm/yh, The Welfare, Ystradgynlais Tel/Ffôn: 01639 843163