The Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli welcomes The Gods Are All Here – Phil Okwedy on 26th May

WEST WALES AUDIENCES SET FOR A SPELLBINDING EVENING OF STORYTELLING, FOLK TALES & SONG

Carmarthenshire audiences are in for an inspirational evening of folk tales, family history and song this month as Welsh storyteller, Phil Okwedy arrives at the Ffwrnes Theatre’s Stiwdio Stepni on 26^th May at 8:00pm. Produced by Adverse Camber and in association with Theatrau Sir Gâr, The Gods Are All Here will be an unmissable mix of captivating storytelling, myth, and legends of the African diaspora. 

Sparked by the discovery of a series of letters from Phil’s father in Nigeria to his mother in Wales, The Gods Are All Here skilfully weaves myth, song, folk tales and legend. The production will explore an astonishing personal story, uncovering Phil’s experiences of growing up as a child of dual heritage in 1960 and 70s Wales.

Born in Cardiff, Phil never lived with either of his parents but was raised in Pembrokeshire by his long-term foster mother. Charting the time of life when children are said to view their parents as gods, but never having actually lived with them, Phil considers if his parents were, in fact, the gods he had imagined them to be. 

Exploring equality, freedom, racism, family and growing up without your birth parents, The Gods Are All Here is both timeless and very much a story of now. 

Phil said: “As I developed as storyteller, there came a time when I felt ready to tell myth but could find none that resonated with me. So, I began to weave personal and family stories with folktales as a kind of myth-making exercise. When I found the letters in my mother’s flat after her death, I felt a need to do more with them than just read them, but I was not yet a storyteller and so had no idea what that might be. 

Now, in sharing this show my intention is that it resonates with other people, with their individual family stories but also with the audience as a whole, because it is by working together that we ensure that equality, justice and freedom are experienced by all.” 

Phil Okwedy is a storyteller and writer, who has performed at many storytelling events and festivals across the UK. He has recently been commissioned as part of Literature Wales’ Representing Wales, Developing Writers of Colour programme and as a major contributor to National Theatre Wales Go Tell the Bees project. 

Leading UK storytelling production company, Adverse Camber (Dreaming the Night Field / Hunting the Giant’s Daughter) is delighted to be touring this production, in partnership with  Theatrau Sir Gâr.

The Gods Are All Here will be BSL-interpreted at the Ffwrnes Theatre and has been funded by Arts Council of Wales and made possible by money raised by National Lottery players.  Theatrau Sir Gâr is supporting production development, and The Gods Are All Here is directed by Michael Harvey, an award-winning storyteller with over 25 years’ experience as a leading teacher, coach, and director. 

Tickets are priced at £12.50 (£10.50 concessions) and can be booked online at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk or with the Box Office on 0345 226 3510. 

The show is suitable for ages 12+.