A vicar who’s dying to live – new Sunday drama on S4C

Fflur Dafydd’s first TV drama starts on S4C on Sunday, 31 May, a bittersweet series which will lead viewers on an emotional journey.

Fflur Dafydd has long established herself as an acclaimed writer, and has won many awards including the Prose Medal, and the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize at The National Eisteddfod; as well the Hay festival award in 2013 for the best English-language novel, “Twenty Thousand Saints.” Fflur is also a lecturer, songwriter and a lyrical pop singer.

The Reverend Myfanwy Elfed is the main character in Parch.  But although she is a vicar, the drama is not about religion according to Fflur, who’s originally from Llandysul but now lives in Carmarthen.

“First and foremost Myfanwy is a woman and a mother – and secondly, she’s a vicar.  Myfanwy is typical of many women who try her best to bring up a family while juggling lots of other things,” says Fflur who’s 36 and a mother to two daughters aged two and four.

When Myfanwy hears she has a life-threating condition affecting her brain, her attitude towards life changes. She looks at the world differently and her relationship with her family is shaken to the core.

Although the subject matter may appear intense, Fflur insists that Parch isn’t a grim, gritty drama. Myfanwy’s brain condition causes her to see colourful and vibrant visions, and this leads us to more light-hearted scenes.

“It’s hard to put a genre on my work, but I like to combine the real and surreal,” says Fflur. “All the characters in Parch have an element of the absurd.”

Myfanwy feels the world is against her; her relationships with her husband and children are fragile, and she doesn’t feel able to share her news with them.  Myfanwy questions the meaning of life, and grows closer to the village undertaker, Eurig.

Fflur is married to an undertaker herself, Iwan, and has also been working closely with Manon Ceridwen James, a vicar in the Llanddulas and Llysfaen parishes in Conwy.

“Having my husband and Manon’s feedback has been crucial in creating the drama. The vicar and undertaker are key figures within society; especially as they support people coming to terms with grief, and it’s important they are portrayed accurately on-screen.”

But who will offer comfort to Myfanwy during this difficult time? You can follow Myfanwy’s fortunes every Sunday, as she questions her faith and her relationships with her friends and family.

Parch

Sunday 31 May 9.00, S4C

Also, Tuesday 2 June 10.00 with on-screen English subtitles

Website: s4c.cymru

An Apollo production, part of Boom Cymru for S4C