Synopsis

The play endeavours to explain the unexplainable notion in Welsh families of 'Hiraeth' (best translated as 'a heartfelt longing for one's homeland') and is centered on the hopes and dreams of a traditional Welsh family and the young ambitious English woman who finds herself trapped in this claustrophobic environment. This dark comedy explores the relationships, values and ambition of the Williams family; David and Angharad, parents to elder son Rhodri and his brother Bleddyn, are steeped in ritual.

Both boys are high achievers, but Rhodri is settling into life with his University sweetheart Ruth, in his home village of Trimsaran. She is fed up of her dead end job and lack of potential both in the community and her career and doesn't understand Rhodri's obsession with this small Welsh backwater and its rugby team ... something has to give. Finally there is Ieuan, best friend to Bleddyn, they await their A-level results to see where it will take them.

The play provokes thought as tradition, taboo, expectations, relationships, family, identity, compromise and language are all thrown into the melting pot, linking past and present with the unpredictable future of this 'stable' household.

Duration

Characters