Caitlin was the wife of poet Dylan Thomas. At the start of the 1970s, twenty years after he died, she started going to Alcoholics Anonymous.
In a circle of chairs, set out for an AA meeting Caitlin makes a determined effort to deal with her tempestuous past. The audience sits in the circle with Caitlin as she revisits her life with Dylan. It is a relationship fuelled by love, addiction, jealousy and infidelity. As Caitlin and Dylan drink, fight, love and leave each other the unoccupied chairs become part of the action in this physical and powerful duet.
CAITLIN TRAILER
History
Commissioned by National Library of Wales for DT100/ Dylan Thomas centenary in 2014.
CAITLIN has toured multiple times from 2014 till now, including Dance Base for Edinburgh Fringe 2015, Battersea Arts Centre for #ANationsTheatre, Zoo venues as part of the British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2017 and Wales in Edinburgh, and India in 2019 as part of Wales in Calcutta.
It was filmed in 2019 by BBC for Dance Passion (watch video below)
Image: Warren Orchard
Watch CAITLIN
“CAITLIN is a powerful piece that engages with the problem of the ‘secondary’ biography – the famous writer’s wife, the background to his foreground – with passion and humour.”
Exeunt Magazine
“Caitlin (★★★★) is harrowing physical theatre/dance, a brilliant and overwhelming enactment by Eddie Ladd and Gwyn Emerton of the effects of alcoholism, the life-in-death of Dylan Thomas and his wife, Caitlin. A Must See show, but only if you are feeling strong enough to take it.”
— Stephanie Green & Mark Harding, The Skinny
“It is a wonderful, movingly truthful ending to a peerless and revelatory performance.”
Cath Barton, Wales Arts Review
CAST & CREATIVES
Caitlin Eddie Ladd
Dylan Gwyn Emberton
Directed by Deborah Light
Soundscore by Thighpaulsandra
Sound by Sion Orgon
Costumes by Neil Davies
Produced by Laura Drane
Promotional Images by Warren Orchard
Production Images by Noel Dacey & Warren Orchard
FUNDED & SUPPORTED BY
Arts Council Wales
National Lottery
Welsh Government
Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Chapter
The Borough Theatre
Volcano
Future opportunities still available for touring and reimagining.
Please contact: lightladdemberton@gmail.com