Capturing and Captivating Cymru: ‘Mr Jones: An Aberfan Story’ at the Union Theatre
‘Mr Jones: An Aberfan Story’ depicts the shattering and immeasurable tragedy of Aberfan, South Wales in 1966. The story focuses on the spill of Aberfan’s hillside coal tip, caused by a build-up of rainwater, which engulfed Pantglas Junior School alongside numerous houses surrounding the area, resulting in the deaths of 144 children and adults. Playwright and star of the show, Liam Holmes, alongside director Michael Neri, crafts a heart-wrenching play based around the events of the disaster, assimilating us into the community at its core. Although we are encouraged to remain supportive and patriotic about an often forgotten country, the reverberations of destruction to the environment and the people who died interrogate us as to whether the title character is able to move past the tragedy he experiences, and whether anyone in the same situation would be able to do so.
Upon arriving at the Union Theatre, the foyer was transformed into a traditional Welsh rugby club. An ensemble of actors dressed in sixties costumes interacted with the audience prior to the show, with inimitable spirit; impressively talented Leona Vaughan sang Tom Jones classics and actor Florence Giles downed pints in competition with audience members (Holmes later revealed to me personally that she won every night). As someone who grew up in rural South Wales, the performance of Welsh culture and community was first-rate.
Once the show had begun, the ensemble only appeared during the interval and brief scenes where we hear accounts of people impacted by the Aberfan disaster, displaying a Brechtian approach to character and narrative. The story was told through interactions of rugby fanatic Stephen Jones, played by Liam Holmes, with strong-willed nurse, Angharad Price, played by Rhiannydd Andrews. Jumping between the time before and after the event of the coal spill, we see how their relationship shifts between thrilling chemistry and tormented grief. Their romantic tension and support of one another’s lives and families are pushed to the edge by loss and relocation away from the town.
Holmes is well versed in both writing and performing Welsh working-class masculinity; a feigned macho identity underscored by boyish mannerisms, exposing Stephen Jones’ conflict with growing up and entering the world with responsibility. Contrasting this portrayal, Angharad Price is a steadfast and fierce Welsh woman with ambitions soaring past their small hometown, dreaming of being a lawyer in Australia. The subtle nuances built within the dialogue of the performers leap out and grab a hold of you: the seemingly minute callbacks to people in their lives and feelings they shield from their immediate family and friends unravel on stage. This is not simply a story about the Aberfan disaster itself: questions of relocation, fears of limitation, and what lives the characters dream of, are a direct result of coming from a rural working-class background.
The tragedy of the coal spill in the play is dealt with care, a love letter to those who suffered in Aberfan. Using these characters to tell the story imbues the narrative with immense empathy and hope, taking us back to the past to treat wounds that may not ever heal completely. Holmes’ writing, therefore, does not only cater to those aligned with Wales - profoundly proficient portrayals of loss and grief emotionally resonate with audiences regardless of national identity. What was not covered in the run time was the reasoning for the coal spill in the first place, a result of the National Coal Board’s lack of tipping policy which neglected and actively put a community in danger. However, Holmes chose specifically to focus on people and grief - a more personal approach to the ramifications of a political problem.
With a sold-out run across Wales and an extension into London, now that I have seen the show, I understand why it has touched so many. Liam Holmes, an emerging talent, amongst his ensemble cast and brilliant acting partner, were all masters students when it was in production at Guildford School of Acting. Now, it is enthralling to think of what they decide to do now that the graduation caps have been thrown in the air. Although the curtains are drawn on university, as ‘Mr Jones: An Aberfan Story’ teaches us, it is how we move beyond.
Edited by Oisín McGilloway
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