Owen Staton

Hello and happy new Year to you all. Sorry for the lack of updates lately but things have as usual been crazy busy. A big thanks to all of you who came to see Macbeth I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved being in it, it was a blast.

Just finished my run at the Grand Theatre with Macbeth for Fluellen theatre. Great cast , Great play and Great times, big thanks to Peter Richards the Director of Fluellen for giving me the chance to play with such a Fab Ensamble, loved it.
We have one more date to go at the De Valence theatre in Tenby on Thursday the 20th of Novemeber so If you fancy seeing this lovely piece of theatre please pop on down and check us out as it will be your last chance.
Always feel kind of strange at these times as everything is sort of in a state of Flux, both Grave Tidings and Macbeth are gone , the Gethin Book needs and injection of enthusiasm and I am in dire need of a good long rest. Next week I have some nice dates with The Libraries in Neath and Port Talbot which should be fun but after that the slate is strangly clean. What shall I do , where shall I go and who shall I meet, many questions but as yet few answers……..
Knowing me as I do (quite well I hope) I think there could be some exciting times ahead, keep reading Guys you never know what may come our way…………

Want to start this one with a big thanks to all the staff at Pontardawe arts centre for all their help with Grave Tidings last week. What a wonderful feeling it was to walk out on to the stage and see the place packed to the rafters for Ghost stories. It seems only a short time ago that I was writing here with some despondency about the low turn out when we performed Gethin at Ystradgynlais, what a difference a few months can make…
Grave Tidings wen really well and the audience seemed to enjoy it, it was strange being on stage so long on my own but I think it was a really good and worthwhile experience and one which I already wish to repeat as I have pencilled in a date at the arts centre for next Halloween, where I hope to put on something bigger and even better.
Am currently in the middle of rehearsals for Macbeth with Fluellen theatre, It’s a massive challenge as we are putting on the play in three weeks and we open next Tuesday. I play a number of roles but the main character I am doing is Banquo.
I have had some difficulty with the lines but I feel that all of a sudden it is starting to stick with me and I hope that I will not let the side down come opening night at the Swansea Grand theatre on Tue.
It runs there 11th,12th and 13th of Nov so if anybody reading wants to come along and see what is going to be I feel a really good production please please pop along and meet up for a drink in the bar afterwards.
Busy busy times , but good times, the reason that I love doing what I do the most, I hope that by the time I next come to write this blog Macbeth will be another success in what has a very successful performing year so far……
Be bloody Bold and Resolute……………

Owen

Back in June I spent a very cold drunken and uncomfortable night sleeping on a beach in Ventnor (don’t ask, wait for the autobiography) . That’s not the point here is the point……..

On Tuesday the 14th of October at 7.30 at Pontardawe arts centre you will see the beginning of the Swansea Valley Storytelling circle. A place for storytellers and Bards to gather and tell of their exploits, a place to exchange stories and ideas in a comfortable and friendly setting. Its something that I have thought about for many years but now because of the vision of one Tracy Evans it is about to become a reality. If you have any ideas or wish to contribute to our Oral history then please do not hesitate to come along where and hopefully we can make it a big success.
The nights grow colder and in just over a scant two weeks I will be debuting my new show “Grave tidings” its as I have said before a solo piece so please wish me luck I feel I might need it.
Peter Richards of Fluellen theatre has very kindly asked me to play Banquo in his latest touring production of Macbeth which begins rehearsals on the 20th of this month and runs in the Grand theatre in Swansea and other dates across the country during November please check out Fluellen’s website for more details should you require them, I hope its going to be good.
I have not forgotten about the Gethin book which also continues at pace, watch this space for I will ask the Blue Princess to post some extracts as soon as I get a chance to speak to her. As most of you know Technology and I are uneasy bedfellows so I leave all things E in her capable hands.

Until next time………

Owen

Memphis was fab great weather, great place and a little time to write, awesome Loved it.
Although its been a little while since I last blogged here quite a few things have happened. Firstly last weekend I performed as the Festival Storyteller for the Pontardawe Music Festival , although this was wet and I ended up performing almost knee deep in mud to an audience that included Pick nickers and more than the Odd Dog. It was a great experience and It brought home to me exactly what it must have been like for the storytellers of old as they performed from village to village. A big thanks must go to Paul at NPT Libraries for organising it.
Work on the Gethin book continues at Pace and although the first chapter will be later than expected I hope to have it up here for you all to read pretty soon.
I have now chosen the three Ghost Stories that I will use as the content of my Halloween show Grave Tidings at the Pontardawe arts centre on the 31st of Oct . I hope it will be good.
Anyway I must go I’m still hoping the summer is going to show up but at lease when its dark and dreary outside I seem to be at my most creative.
Well I hope so anyway time is moving on and projects must be finished………

Don’t worry its not really as exciting as it sounds, in fact to the majority of sane beings out there it would be positively boring, but to me it sounds like a Godsend. Tomorrow I leave on a weekend working trip to Memphis, which in itself is fab but the most productive part of the whole weekend I hope will be the journey.
Memphis is a good Nine hours away including a short Stop at Newark so for the first time in a long time I shall have time to write . Horah ! Sitting on a plane for Nine hours being waited on and possibly at last finishing the opening chapters of the Gethin Book. Awesome.
Of course whilst I am over there in Tennessee I hope to do all the tourist stuff like visiting Graceland and Beale street as well as getting some Sun away from our awful British weather. Should be fab?.
If the hotel has Wi Fi I even hope to update this blog whist there so look out for some updates.
Anyway the most important plan is to finish the opening chapter and get it up on this website for you to read before the end of the month.
Should be simple………………………………

Today I finished a two day stint working on a project called the “Arty Party”. The AP was organised by the Community Arts department of Neath/Port Talbot Libraries and was a great Success.
The idea was to get as many kids to try and get involved in as many arts as possible, to which end they had a varied group of artists and performers including myself in a number of rooms at Pontardawe arts centre. Each performer held workshop sessions for Junior aged Kids showing off such diverse skills as Mask Making to storytelling. All in all I did ten 55 minute sessions running over two days which was absolutely exhausting. The kids were all fab really getting into the stories I told and seemingly having a wonderful time. The whole thing was held at the superb facility at Pontardawe arts centre and really was a credit to the borough. I only wish that my tired old body could keep going after such a punishing and demanding Gig. I am absolutely shattered but well enthused and really hoping to get involved in similar projects in the future.
Wow anyway all other projects have been on hold for the last couple of weeks as I have been tied up with preparation for this and the five days I have been on Pobol YCwm in the last few weeks. All together June has probably been the most successful month I have yet had as a performer as the volume of work seems to always be increasing. I only hope the rest of the year will be as manic as the first half.
If not quite as stressful………

Did the last theatre Stop for Gethin at Ystradgynlais Welfare Hall last Saturday, It was a bit of a red letter day to be honest, taking Gethin back to where the story was born, Performing the Myth only a stone’s throw from John Gethin’s birthplace at Waunngurlais farm. I was really excited if not a little nervous, How would people react? Were there people who would object to my take on the myth? Would it be well received? . Anyway the last few weeks has been manic so it was with great trepidation that I rolled into Ystrad, only to find that before-hand five tickets had been sold…….
My heart sunk to a new low when I then realised that those five tickets had been prebooked by a cast member. In other words not a single ticket had moved independently.
Amazing.
Trying my best to ignore the despair I got on with rehearsing and preparing the show and by the time the curtain went up we did have an audience of thirty, which all things considering was quite good.
As for the show, it went really well, it was amazing watching a piece that I had written being beautifully acted by a lovely cast and its now that I must thank, Billy Lyons Eleanor Flaherty Kath Weare , and Rachel Howells for bringing these characters so wonderfully to life. It made me a very proud and privileged man, I think the show was far slicker and faster than before and as everyone just slotted into things so well it went superbly,and for that great thanks must go to our wonderful stage Manager Luke Willaims who was superb as ever.
Anyway the sadness of many empty seats has only renewed my drive to try and make these Myths more popular and to try and make the audience fall in love with them once again.

Will I succeed. Time will tell…………

Staring at a Blank computer screen is really hard, staring at a Blank computer screen when you have little time and a Novel to write is especially hard. As you may have guessed I spent the other night staring at a blank computer screen as I started what is going to be a long journey with the Gethin Novel.
When I say its going to be a long Journey , I Hope its going to be a long journey in a comfy car with good friends, nice music and no traffic jams, and after I got over that initial blank screen that is the way its looking to be.
The nice thing about writing a story is that you don’t have to worry about the time constraints and the logistics of staging it, you can have gunfights and explosions without having to worry about Mrs Davies who is 87 sitting in the front row.
The bad thing about writing a story is that it can be a very lonely place populated only by yourself and what comes into your head, where I am lucky is that the cast who performed Gethin did such a good job that they have given me loads of materiel to work with.
Anyway I hope to have it done by the end of the year which seems a long way off but after the simply manic last five months where I have been in fifth gear every day I know it will soon be upon me.
Thanks to all who have contacted me saying that they are enjoying this Blog, a special big Thanks To C for her kind words, I hope to be in touch soon .
Lots of work coming in at the moment as well which is nice, it looks like I will be doing a two day storytelling workshop at the end of June which will take me into July when I will head off to Memphis , but more of that Later………

Until then

Owen x

Got some bad news today, it seems that the Dylan Thomas theatre that was due to host Gethin on the 24th of this month has been badly damaged by floods in last Friday’s storms. The theatre is totally sodden and the carpets and flooring ruined. My heart goes out to the people at the theatre as they have not long reopened having totally refurbished the front of the theatre.
Anyway the long and the short of it is, they have had to cancel Gethin for next week.
Its really sad but for the safety of the audience they have had to do it.

Bum

Oh well these things happen and we just have to get on with it I suppose?, I hope that anybody reading this who was coming to the show will consider coming up to Ystradgynlais on the 14th of June when we will be performing at the lovely Welfare hall theatre , in the town where John Gethin was born.

Anyway on the plus side I am feeling really positive about doing Grave Tidings for Halloween this year, I have spoken to the Lovely Rachel Louise Howells earlier as I have an Idea for a Poster which if it comes off will be awesome.
For those of you who don’t know, Rachel is a friend who has performed in both Vortigern’s Kingdom and Gethin. She has a wonderful look about her that makes her just about the perfect Person for playing Fairies /Ghosts and other Ethereal types. The image I have in mind will look wonderful and for the first time I may have to relinquish poster duties, but Rachel is far better looking than I.
On the subject of posters ,all mine are done by the Wonderful Eleanor Flaherty, a good friend who also appears in Gethin. As well as being a fab actress Eleanor is a superb Graphic Designer who has a real eye for images and photography. If you like any of my posters and want to use Eleanor for any idea’s of your own then please get in contact.

Oh well the Dylan Thomas show is dead, but we battle on. I have asked the Blue princess to remove it from the homepage so please don’t turn up and then shout because we are not there.

Until next time I sit in longing hope of good news……

Owen x