BarddGriot
Productions
Recitals From An Afro-Celtic Perspective
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THE BLUE FLOWER.
BLUE FLOWER- to send out. “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion to something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley My Blue Flower story was greatly inspired by a wonderful short story by Henry van Dyke, also titled The Blue Flower (1902). Van Dyke’s story follows seekers pursuing the elusive ideal of happiness — the “blue flower” — only to realise that fulfilment is often found within rather than in some distant place. My story follows two characters: Sable, who longs for a devotion powerful enough to free him from his “sphere of sorrow”, and Briar, whose loss of faith in life leads her into decline before she finally realises that the happiness she seeks must come from within herself. As a writer, I tend to explore themes that deeply affect me and create characters inspired by people I have encountered in real life. One such person became the inspiration for Sable. We shall call him X. X was Black and gay in the harshly homophobic Britain of the 1970s. Although male homosexuality had only recently become legal, it was far from socially accepted. Within many Black communities, attitudes towards homosexuality were often even more oppressive. As a result, X suppressed his true identity and desires, never allowing himself the loving relationship he secretly longed for. This repression ultimately led to a severe mental breakdown from which, sadly, he never fully recovered. Briar’s character is more reflective and introspective. Through her, I explore how depression and the feeling that the world is against you can sometimes be intensified by the prisons we create within our own minds — and how healing may begin from within. X’s story affected me profoundly. At first, I wanted to tell it through stark realism to expose the brutality faced by people like him during that era. However, after reflecting more deeply, I realised that X’s life was rich with culture, glamour, fantasy, and performance. I felt the story could be told more powerfully as a theatrical fantasy-fable, allowing its emotional and cultural worlds to come alive. This includes influences ranging from classical music — evoking serene gardens and dreamlike beauty — to the world of 1970s disco, where X was known as the “Queen of Cathays” for his immaculate style, particularly his hats. Ironically, he was also known as a ladies’ man, another reflection of the identity he felt compelled to hide. One musical influence is: Classical music inspiration Another is Just Can’t Give You Up by Mystic Merlin: Just Can’t Give You Up – Mystic Merlin The song captures the exaggerated decadence and glamour of 1970s and 1980s disco culture — a world where, for a few fleeting hours, people could become whoever they wished to be. Yet beneath the glitter and spectacle often lay loneliness and secrecy. The lyrics of Just Can’t Give You Up seem to encapsulate what this “king of disco” may have been feeling as he danced majestically across the floor, knowing that the person he truly desired could never know his feelings. For this reason, I have chosen the song as a central musical theme within the piece. At present, I have completed a draft script in a music- and dance-based theatrical format. I am now looking to apply for an Arts Council of Wales Research and Development grant. The process would begin with the director and myself working through and developing the script collaboratively. Main Cast SABLE. Black. Tall, intimidating presence. Must be able to dance and possibly sing. PRINCE. Black. Tall, dark, and handsome. Must be able to dance and sing. BRIAR Gothic appearance and strong emotional presence. Creative Team Sought Set Designer Director with experience in dance theatre Choreographer (possibly separate from the director) Musician / Composer If interested, please contact: Anthonywright40@hotmail.com
BLUE FLOWER- to send out. “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion to something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley My Blue Flower story was greatly inspired by a wonderful short story by Henry van Dyke, also titled The Blue Flower (1902). Van Dyke’s story follows seekers pursuing the elusive ideal of happiness — the “blue flower” — only to realise that fulfilment is often found within rather than in some distant place. My story follows two characters: Sable, who longs for a devotion powerful enough to free him from his “sphere of sorrow”, and Briar, whose loss of faith in life leads her into decline before she finally realises that the happiness she seeks must come from within herself. As a writer, I tend to explore themes that deeply affect me and create characters inspired by people I have encountered in real life. One such person became the inspiration for Sable. We shall call him X. X was Black and gay in the harshly homophobic Britain of the 1970s. Although male homosexuality had only recently become legal, it was far from socially accepted. Within many Black communities, attitudes towards homosexuality were often even more oppressive. As a result, X suppressed his true identity and desires, never allowing himself the loving relationship he secretly longed for. This repression ultimately led to a severe mental breakdown from which, sadly, he never fully recovered. Briar’s character is more reflective and introspective. Through her, I explore how depression and the feeling that the world is against you can sometimes be intensified by the prisons we create within our own minds — and how healing may begin from within. X’s story affected me profoundly. At first, I wanted to tell it through stark realism to expose the brutality faced by people like him during that era. However, after reflecting more deeply, I realised that X’s life was rich with culture, glamour, fantasy, and performance. I felt the story could be told more powerfully as a theatrical fantasy-fable, allowing its emotional and cultural worlds to come alive. This includes influences ranging from classical music — evoking serene gardens and dreamlike beauty — to the world of 1970s disco, where X was known as the “Queen of Cathays” for his immaculate style, particularly his hats. Ironically, he was also known as a ladies’ man, another reflection of the identity he felt compelled to hide. One musical influence is: Classical music inspiration Another is Just Can’t Give You Up by Mystic Merlin: Just Can’t Give You Up – Mystic Merlin The song captures the exaggerated decadence and glamour of 1970s and 1980s disco culture — a world where, for a few fleeting hours, people could become whoever they wished to be. Yet beneath the glitter and spectacle often lay loneliness and secrecy. The lyrics of Just Can’t Give You Up seem to encapsulate what this “king of disco” may have been feeling as he danced majestically across the floor, knowing that the person he truly desired could never know his feelings. For this reason, I have chosen the song as a central musical theme within the piece. At present, I have completed a draft script in a music- and dance-based theatrical format. I am now looking to apply for an Arts Council of Wales Research and Development grant. The process would begin with the director and myself working through and developing the script collaboratively. Main Cast SABLE. Black. Tall, intimidating presence. Must be able to dance and possibly sing. PRINCE. Black. Tall, dark, and handsome. Must be able to dance and sing. BRIAR Gothic appearance and strong emotional presence. Creative Team Sought Set Designer Director with experience in dance theatre Choreographer (possibly separate from the director) Musician / Composer If interested, please contact: Anthonywright40@hotmail.com
BLUE FLOWER- to send out. “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion to something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley My Blue Flower story was greatly inspired by a wonderful short story by Henry van Dyke, also titled The Blue Flower (1902). Van Dyke’s story follows seekers pursuing the elusive ideal of happiness — the “blue flower” — only to realise that fulfilment is often found within rather than in some distant place. My story follows two characters: Sable, who longs for a devotion powerful enough to free him from his “sphere of sorrow”, and Briar, whose loss of faith in life leads her into decline before she finally realises that the happiness she seeks must come from within herself. As a writer, I tend to explore themes that deeply affect me and create characters inspired by people I have encountered in real life. One such person became the inspiration for Sable. We shall call him X. X was Black and gay in the harshly homophobic Britain of the 1970s. Although male homosexuality had only recently become legal, it was far from socially accepted. Within many Black communities, attitudes towards homosexuality were often even more oppressive. As a result, X suppressed his true identity and desires, never allowing himself the loving relationship he secretly longed for. This repression ultimately led to a severe mental breakdown from which, sadly, he never fully recovered. Briar’s character is more reflective and introspective. Through her, I explore how depression and the feeling that the world is against you can sometimes be intensified by the prisons we create within our own minds — and how healing may begin from within. X’s story affected me profoundly. At first, I wanted to tell it through stark realism to expose the brutality faced by people like him during that era. However, after reflecting more deeply, I realised that X’s life was rich with culture, glamour, fantasy, and performance. I felt the story could be told more powerfully as a theatrical fantasy-fable, allowing its emotional and cultural worlds to come alive. This includes influences ranging from classical music — evoking serene gardens and dreamlike beauty — to the world of 1970s disco, where X was known as the “Queen of Cathays” for his immaculate style, particularly his hats. Ironically, he was also known as a ladies’ man, another reflection of the identity he felt compelled to hide. One musical influence is: Classical music inspiration Another is Just Can’t Give You Up by Mystic Merlin: Just Can’t Give You Up – Mystic Merlin The song captures the exaggerated decadence and glamour of 1970s and 1980s disco culture — a world where, for a few fleeting hours, people could become whoever they wished to be. Yet beneath the glitter and spectacle often lay loneliness and secrecy. The lyrics of Just Can’t Give You Up seem to encapsulate what this “king of disco” may have been feeling as he danced majestically across the floor, knowing that the person he truly desired could never know his feelings. For this reason, I have chosen the song as a central musical theme within the piece. At present, I have completed a draft script in a music- and dance-based theatrical format. I am now looking to apply for an Arts Council of Wales Research and Development grant. The process would begin with the director and myself working through and developing the script collaboratively. Main Cast SABLE. Black. Tall, intimidating presence. Must be able to dance and possibly sing. PRINCE. Black. Tall, dark, and handsome. Must be able to dance and sing. BRIAR Gothic appearance and strong emotional presence. Creative Team Sought Set Designer Director with experience in dance theatre Choreographer (possibly separate from the director) Musician / Composer If interested, please contact: Anthonywright40@hotmail.com
BLUE FLOWER- to send out. “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion to something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley My Blue Flower story was greatly inspired by a wonderful short story by Henry van Dyke, also titled The Blue Flower (1902). Van Dyke’s story follows seekers pursuing the elusive ideal of happiness — the “blue flower” — only to realise that fulfilment is often found within rather than in some distant place. My story follows two characters: Sable, who longs for a devotion powerful enough to free him from his “sphere of sorrow”, and Briar, whose loss of faith in life leads her into decline before she finally realises that the happiness she seeks must come from within herself. As a writer, I tend to explore themes that deeply affect me and create characters inspired by people I have encountered in real life. One such person became the inspiration for Sable. We shall call him X. X was Black and gay in the harshly homophobic Britain of the 1970s. Although male homosexuality had only recently become legal, it was far from socially accepted. Within many Black communities, attitudes towards homosexuality were often even more oppressive. As a result, X suppressed his true identity and desires, never allowing himself the loving relationship he secretly longed for. This repression ultimately led to a severe mental breakdown from which, sadly, he never fully recovered. Briar’s character is more reflective and introspective. Through her, I explore how depression and the feeling that the world is against you can sometimes be intensified by the prisons we create within our own minds — and how healing may begin from within. X’s story affected me profoundly. At first, I wanted to tell it through stark realism to expose the brutality faced by people like him during that era. However, after reflecting more deeply, I realised that X’s life was rich with culture, glamour, fantasy, and performance. I felt the story could be told more powerfully as a theatrical fantasy-fable, allowing its emotional and cultural worlds to come alive. This includes influences ranging from classical music — evoking serene gardens and dreamlike beauty — to the world of 1970s disco, where X was known as the “Queen of Cathays” for his immaculate style, particularly his hats. Ironically, he was also known as a ladies’ man, another reflection of the identity he felt compelled to hide. One musical influence is: Classical music inspiration Another is Just Can’t Give You Up by Mystic Merlin: Just Can’t Give You Up – Mystic Merlin The song captures the exaggerated decadence and glamour of 1970s and 1980s disco culture — a world where, for a few fleeting hours, people could become whoever they wished to be. Yet beneath the glitter and spectacle often lay loneliness and secrecy. The lyrics of Just Can’t Give You Up seem to encapsulate what this “king of disco” may have been feeling as he danced majestically across the floor, knowing that the person he truly desired could never know his feelings. For this reason, I have chosen the song as a central musical theme within the piece. At present, I have completed a draft script in a music- and dance-based theatrical format. I am now looking to apply for an Arts Council of Wales Research and Development grant. The process would begin with the director and myself working through and developing the script collaboratively. Main Cast SABLE. Black. Tall, intimidating presence. Must be able to dance and possibly sing. PRINCE. Black. Tall, dark, and handsome. Must be able to dance and sing. BRIAR Gothic appearance and strong emotional presence. Creative Team Sought Set Designer Director with experience in dance theatre Choreographer (possibly separate from the director) Musician / Composer If interested, please contact: Anthonywright40@hotmail.com
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