Imagine if buildings could talk. Imagine if they could share their secrets. If they could tell us about the things they’ve seen and of the history they hold within the fibre of their structure. What would they tell us?

This question has formed the basis of our work with the children involved with Project 21 this week with the beautiful building in question of course, the Wales Millenium Centre.

We are lucky that the Millenium Centre is particularly special in that it already speaks to us every day. In great bold letters for all to see thanks to the brilliance of Gwyneth Lewis who listened to the building when it was being created. It tells us that horizons sing within the stones of this ‘ffwrnes awen’ (furnace of inspiration).

In exactly 12 months time we will share the building’s stories with audiences. The children, much like the materials which have created the structure, come from all over Wales and much like the materials, bring with them stories and secrets and history of their own.

Elan Isaac our choreographer, Jak Poore our composer and myself have had the pleasure of watching our ‘cast’ sing, dance, rap, chant, and of course laugh from North Wales to South this week. On Wednesday, we invited the AMAZING Ed Holden aka Mr Phormula along to Ysgol Glancegin in Bangor to teach us how to beat box. For someone who can barely whistle, I stood agog listening to the incredible sounds and beats his vocal chords created. The children asked him how he managed to do it? ‘Practice’ he said. ‘Lots and lots of practice’ and so to our ‘to do list’… A year of practicing to get our performance ‘Agog-inducing’.

Bring it on I say!

We are thrilled to announce our cast for Halt! Who Goes There? this autumn at The Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea. Directed by Phylip Harries, Designed by Gwyn Eiddior, Music Composed by Jak Poore and lighting designed by Elanor Higgins. The cast are Chris Kinahan, Caryl Morgan, Ceri Phillips and Jack Quick. More news to follow...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theatr-nanog/sets/72157634194886682/

Dyma adolygiad arbennig gan Ysgol Login Fach

"Roedd yr antur anhygoel i ni yma hefyd!
Y gorau eto - er i ni ddweud hynny llynnedd! Sgript yn bwrpasol at yr oed yn cynnwys nifer o eiriau heriol a therminoleg roedd hyn yn cyfoethogi'r perfformiad - braf eu clywed.
Y set a'r gwisgoedd a'r effeithiau sain (defnydd o offeryn) yn wych unwaith eto. Actorion dawnus - geirio ac ynganu campus. roedd yr antur y tu allan yn gyfle arbennig i'r plant uniaethu a'r cymeriadau. Diolch i chi - bawb sydd ynghlwm a'r perfformiad. Sut allwch chi wella ar berfformiad fel hyn?!"

And we had to interview Jack Quick as Bertie!!!!!! This is what Jack had to say today regarding ' We Need Bees' .....

' We are now coming into our fourth week and as we get deeper into the tour we are going further and further from home, going to such places as London and Dundee which I'm very looking forward to as I've never ventured to Scotland before. We do have a nice week off before we go up... to Scotland then we are away for three weeks, so for a mummy's boy it will be difficult thank god for face time haha!

' I really enjoy playing my character Bertie as we are quite similar, apart from the fact he's a honey bee of course, because I only ever wanted to do one thing in school and that was be in the drama block performing or even being the class clown in other subjects, so it wasn't to hard to find how to play him!

' It is a long old tour and its different from day to day as we could have a long travel a get in, then a show and also a get out, but I like to keep everyone on their toes by winding them up, and by being the youngest in the group, I can get away with it a bit more haha.

' My favourite thing about playing Bertie is that I get to meet all the different characters and get to interact with audience which is great. I also enjoy getting the chance to meet as many of the audience members as I can, and when they tell you how much they enjoyed it makes all the hard work worth it. Another good thing about being able to perform in this show is that my father can't drag me to work with him to watch him plaster walls. But if anyone needs a price, Bertie bee can turn up for W J Quick Builders.'

We interview Aled Herbert ..... who plays Beelko, Blue, Woody and Crab Spider in 'We Need Bees' ....... do you have a question for Aled? If so, send in a question and Aled will gladly answer it!

' The tour has gone really well, we have visited some lovely places and the welcome from everyone has been amazing. I know we are all looking forward to visiting Scotland and performing to sell out crowds.

What is the best thing about your character - you play several in this colourful production?
' It's great to play a number of characters, the quick changes, different accents and costumes make it very exciting, my favourite character is the Crab Spider, I have a lot of fun with that character.'

It's an eight week tour, are the bees getting tired?
' We are about half way through the tour and the Bees are still going strong, I think it is to do with all that Honey!'

What do you like the most about your character?
' The different characters are the best thing for me and coming up with different accents. The worst would sometimes be the quick changes - I'm thankful for velcro and I have lots of it!'

Fe wnaethon ni holi Non Haf am ei phrofiadau fel y wenynen gyfrifol yn y sioe ' Gwobr y Gwenyn Gwerthfawr', a dyma beth oedd ganddi i'w ddweud ..... a oes gyda chi gwestiwn i un o'n actorion?

Shwt mae'n mynd mor belled?

' Mae'n mynd yn dda diolch. Mae'r sioe i weld yn cael ymateb positif iawn. Gan ein bod mewn lleoliadau gwahanol bob dydd, dwi'n teimlo bod hynny'n cadw'r sioe yn ffresh i ni fel actorion. Mae hi wir yn hyfryd i weld ymateb y plant ir sioe.'

2: Beth yw'r peth gorau am eich cymeriad?
' Mae Bron yn chwareus iawn, ac mae na lawer o hwyl yn y sioe. Mae ei pherthynas gyda Byrti yn hyfryd - mi wnawn nhw unrhywbeth i'w gilydd! Ond Bron yn bendant ydi'r bos!!

3: Mae'n daith hir yn wyth wythnos o hyd - ydy'r gwenyn wedi blino?
' Mae na wastad adegau blinedig ar daith fel hon, yn enwedig gan nad ydw i'n cael cyfle i fynd adre yn aml. Ond mae ymateb y plant bob tro yn cadw pethau i fynd. Mae nhw mor frwdfrydig, ac mae hynny'n golygu fod rhaid i ni roi 100% bob tro hefyd. Rydan ni fel criw hefyd yn edrych mlaen i ymweld gyda theatrau a llefydd newydd.'

4: Beth sydd orau gyda ti am dy gymeriad? A'r peth gwaethaf?
' Dwi'n mwynhau'n fawr cael cyfarfod gyda'r plant. Dwi'n cofio un fam yn dod ata i eisiau llun ohona i gyda'r plentyn gan mai dyna'r tro cyntaf iddi fynd gyda'r ferch fach i'r theatr. Mae pethau felna'n aros efo chi!'

Tomorrow we head east to Ipswich, to the New Wolsey Theatre
This will be our second visit here, and even though it will be a 4 hour 23 minute trip (google it) taking in nigh on 300 miles, we are so pleased to be making this journey, because it is so encouraging for us, a little known company from Wales, performing at one of the most respected theatres in the UK (It won the Most Welcoming Theatre of 2012 TMA Award), and to play to a packed house!

Makes this journey worth every single mile…

Oh and by the way it would take a bee 20 hours to get from Neath to Ipswich!

So - Lets Get ready to Bumble!

Those of you who know me will know that I love to bang on Pollyanna-like about things. I’m excellent at it quite frankly. From travelling overseas to Asda Gummy Bears (other brands are available) to Campervans and my bionic hip. There is no end to the subjects I feel enthusiastic about and when I find myself involved in a project that combines a few of those favourite things then my exuberance is enough to make Julie Andrews and her whiskery kittens roll their eyes like Kevin the Teenager. Project 21 is one such subject matter.

In collaboration with the Wales Millennium Centre, Theatre na nÓg have embarked on an 18 month project that will culminate in a wonderful musical extravaganza (I love that word) in October 2014 that will mark and celebrate 10 years since their doors opened. Working with over 200 children from seven schools which are spread across Wales we will create a performance that will showcase the wonderful young talent and brilliant history that that we have here in this wonderful nation of ours. From Bangor through Barmouth and Blaenau Ffestiniog, Merthyr and Swansea and Cardiff, the children we have already met have ensured that the road ahead promises to be a lot of fun. ‘What are you most looking forward to from this project?’ I asked a child in Blaenau last week. ‘To sing and dance and run about and make new friends…and eat ice cream’. Now who wouldn’t love to be involved in a project like that?!! (I bet Julie Andrews would.)

As we bid farewell to our We Need Bees cast and crew as they begin their journey all over the Wales and the UK.

Ioan Hefin and I will begin another strand to the Wallace 100 year of celebrations.

We’ve decided to use the character of Alfred Russel Wallace and his friend and co-explorer Henry Walter Bates as a vehicle to get young children to discover something new for themselves outside in their own school yard or field or wherever.

Ioan steps aside for a couple of weeks from being Alfred Russel Wallace (in his own show) to be the director of The Amazing Adventures of Wallace and Bates. He will be joined by two fantastic actors, Chris Kinahan and Carwyn Jones.

Wallace and Bates travelled to the Amazon in 1848 with very little money, or any real experience of collecting new species. Both would spend years in the Amazon collecting and cataloging, drawing detail maps for future explorers.

Wallace’s journey home wasn’t what he had expected, but its his spirit against adversity and the passion to find out more which compels him to carry on. A great Victorian hero, and a great role model for young children…

This is such a different and new project for us, with it being much more interactive, and the structure of the piece is different, with the play split into 3 parts two parts story and one part the expedition with no script – it depends on what the children will discover that particular day. The ultimate in improvising – all the very best Chris and Carwyn

So I suppose its not only the children who will be going on adventure - we are too. Wish us luck, and Bon Voyage.