#welsh playwright

[do-you-know-this-play]

[yourdailyqueer]

Roger Rees (deceased)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: 5 May 1944  

DOD: 10 July 2015

Ethnicity: White - Welsh

Occupation: Actor, director, playwright

Note: Converted to Judaism in the 1980s

[theshatterednotes]

Dylan Thomas

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

With playwright Jeremy O. Harris tapped as “librarian” emcee, the evening was filled with readings — Joseph Gordon-Levitt chose the foreword of Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” while Shanola Hampton took on “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. Patton Oswalt made the room laugh with a passage from “Tamarisk Row” by Gerald Murnane, as did Jon Hamm, reciting “Good Omens” — Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 novel — which Gaiman adapted into a fantasy-comedy television series. Hamm is among its cast.

“Hot mic, hot mic,” Hamm said. “You’ll have to excuse me…I can only hear the voices of the co-leads,” he went on, referencing his costars, Scottish actor David Tennant and Welsh actor Michael Sheen. “I’m going to do a ridiculous approximation of their accents. Bear with me.”

Anyone knows if there is a recording of this? 👀❤

[invisibleicewands]

Michael Sheen: ‘I have considered going into politics’

It would be a surprise to no one when Michael Sheen reveals that he has considered getting into politics.

Viewed as one of Wales’ most inspiring individuals, a firebrand speaker renowned for his political and social activism, many people have long tipped the Port Talbot-born star to head into the political sphere.

It’s something that Sheen himself admits he has at oft times thought about.

He has never been one afraid to discuss ‘political’ issues or make his voice heard at the Senedd or the Houses of Parliament.

He has variously made calls for discussions about Welsh independence, aired forthright views about the institution of the Prince of Wales title, showed support to a cross-party campaign of Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour focused on devolving the Crown Estate to Wales and most recently called for a Fair Banking Act to help tackle the unaffordable credit crisis in the UK.

“It’s something that I have thought about for many years now,” he says. “Ultimately, I come back to the same thing, which is that I feel like I don’t want someone else to tell me, ‘Oh, no, you can’t vote for that’, it’s that I don’t want to be beholden to other people.

“I’ve got a freedom and a platform for what I believe in, and I don’t necessarily have to edit or censor that to toe some sort of party line for now. Now, I can see why that’s the case in politics and see why you need to be able to do that, but I feel like I’ve got more license and more ability to create the change I want to see by being independent.

“So whilst that remains, then I wouldn’t want to get involved. But you know that can always change.”

Speaking to Nation Cymru as he launched the Welsh National Theatre, described as ‘a new dawn for theatre in Wales’ with a vision to create world class work from the country, it was created as a result of the demise of National Theatre Wales, when the company’s funding from Arts Council of Wales was cut.

It’s yet another grand statement of intent from Sheen, who will be the theatre’s artistic director, using his own money to get the project off the ground.

Never one to trade in empty platitudes, his unyielding ambition and desire to showcase the best of Wales, has now manifested itself as he heads on a theatrical journey which he hopes will reverberate for generations to come.

“This is a new dawn for theatre in Wales.” he says. “We’ll be a home for our greatest talent, bringing them together to create ambitious theatre which makes our national story come alive. That’s what national theatres should do.

“Wales has such a rich storytelling history but our stories are underexplored in the English language, both at home and internationally. I’ve spent much of the past year on stage playing Aneurin Bevan in Tim Price’s ‘Nye’ to packed houses, both in and out of Wales. Audiences have a huge appetite for our stories if we give them the chance to experience them.

“Our plays and performances will tell the stories of Wales’ past, present and future, as well as classics seen through a Welsh lens. They’ll be produced on the grandest stages around the world, by world-class Welsh talents. We want truly ambitious writing from Welsh playwrights for the best actors in Wales, to be the pinnacle of our creative talent, raising the bar for excellence in entertainment.

“We want to help create a world where the stories of Wales help us make sense of tomorrow. Where the people of Wales understand their power to change society thanks to the spark of a performance on our stage. Where Wales is respected as a nation with a powerful voice and a story to tell.”

Since moving back to Wales more than a decade ago, Sheen has thrown himself into service to the people of the nation he loves, giving back to the ‘country who made me who I am’.

In 2019, he famously sold his own houses to fund the Homeless World Cup in Cardiff when its £2 million funding fell through at the last minute.

The Welshman has declared himself a ‘not-for-profit actor’ announcing that he would be giving all of his future earnings to his various charitable and community causes.

His altruism and philanthropy can be seen with such ventures as Mab Gwalia, a community organisation giving the underprivileged in Wales the opportunity to fulfil their potential and A Writing Chance, which gives new and aspiring writers from working-class and lower-income backgrounds resources and access to the writing industries.

Most recently it was revealed that the actor, who is a prominent campaigner on issues surrounding debt, had written off the personal debts of hundreds of people in South Wales.

He did not publicly announce the move, but fans discovered it when they spotted Facebook posts in local community groups from a television production company who are making a documentary about Sheen’s highlighting of the debt crisis in the UK.

The Good Omens actor, who gained glowing reviews for his performance as Aneurin Bevan in ‘Nye’ at the Wales Millennium Centre, describes his motivations simply as repaying a debt of gratitude to Wales.

If you want use historical metaphor he can be seen as a Welsh Atlas carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders. Having done so much for so many for so long in Wales, he does however admit to feeling a pressure on himself to ensure these various ventures and pursuits are ultimately successful.

“I do, I do feel pressure, but I would feel a lot more pressure if I wasn’t doing anything about it when I knew I could,” he says.

“I know I would feel far more pressure if I was sitting there thinking, ‘well, I could do something about this, but I’m not going to, because I’m a bit scared or it might not work out , or what would people think, then I would feel a lot worse pressure. It’s good pressure and it also gets more than balanced out by the kind of joy of it and the feeling of being of service and contributing and using what I’ve got, what I’ve been given by this country.

“Everything I’ve got, everything I’m putting in, I wasn’t born with it. It was given to me by my parents, by my family, by my local community, by a local education authority when I was growing up, by all those people who volunteered to be part of youth theatre, all those people who give up their time to do all this stuff, I stand on their shoulders.

“So any pressure is completely balanced out by a feeling of the privilege to honour what those people gave me.”

No one should ever doubt Michael Sheen’s sincerity nor his humility. His fire is forged from a burning passion for a nation that he says has given him everything and made him the man he is today.

We are lucky to have him.

[thealogie]

My new playwright buddy was like “yeah so my wife is welsh” and before I could help it I was like “I LOVE WALES ♥️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I LOVE THE WELSH. Sorry I know that’s a weird nationality to have that reaction about” and he was like “no i get it my wife is welsh”

[justforbooks]

Quincy Jones, dies aged 91

Widely and wildly talented musician and industry mogul worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Will Smith and others

Quincy Jones, a titan of American entertainment who worked with stars from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson and Will Smith, has died aged 91.

Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he died on Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Jones was arguably the most versatile pop cultural figure of the 20th century, perhaps best known for producing the albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad for Michael Jackson in the 1980s, which made the singer the biggest pop star of all time. Jones also produced music for Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and many others.

He was also a successful composer of dozens of film scores, and had numerous chart hits under his own name. Jones was a bandleader in big band jazz, an arranger for jazz stars including Count Basie, and a multi-instrumentalist, most proficiently on trumpet and piano. His TV and film production company, founded in 1990, had major success with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and other shows, and he continued to innovate well into his 80s, launching Qwest TV in 2017, an on-demand music TV service. Jones is third only to Beyoncé and Jay-Z for having the most Grammy award nominations of all time – 80 to their 88 each – and is the awards’ third most-garlanded winner, with 28.

Among the tributes to Jones was one from actor Michael Caine, who was born on the same day as Jones: 14 March 1933. “My celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world,” Caine wrote. “He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”

Playwright and actor Jeremy O Harris paid tribute to Jones’s “limitless” contributions to US culture, writing: “What couldn’t he do? Quincy Jones, literally born when the limits on how big a black boy could dream were unfathomably high, taught us that the limit does not exist.”

Jones was born in Chicago. His half-white father had been born to a Welsh slave owner and one of his female slaves, while his mother’s family were also descended from slave owners. His introduction to music came through the walls of his childhood home from a piano played by a neighbour, which he started learning aged seven, and via his mother’s singing.

His parents divorced and he moved with his father to Washington state, where Jones learned drums and a host of brass instruments in his high-school band. At 14, he started playing in a band with a 16-year-old Ray Charles in Seattle clubs, once, in 1948, backing Billie Holiday. He studied music at Seattle University, transferring east to continue in Boston, and then moved to New York after being rehired by the jazz bandleader Lionel Hampton, with whom he had toured as a high-schooler (a band for which Malcolm X was a heroin dealer when they played in Detroit).

In New York, one early gig was playing trumpet in Elvis Presley’s band for his first TV appearances, and he met the stars of the flourishing bebop movement including Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. (Years later, in 1991, Jones conducted Davis’s last performance, two months before he died.)

Jones toured Europe with Hampton, and spent much time there in the 1950s, including a period furthering his studies in Paris, where he met luminaries including Pablo Picasso, James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. At the age of 23, he also toured South America and the Middle East as Dizzy Gillespie’s musical director and arranger. He convened a crack team for his own big band, touring Europe as a way to test Free and Easy, a jazz musical, but the disastrous run left Jones, by his own admission, close to suicide and with $100,000 of debt.

He secured a job at Mercury Records and slowly paid off the debt with plenty of work as a producer and arranger for artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan and Sammy Davis Jr. He also began scoring films, his credits eventually including The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, The Getaway and The Color Purple. (He produced the last of these, which was nominated for 11 Oscars, three for Jones himself.) In 1968, he became the first African American to be nominated for best original song at the Oscars, for The Eyes of Love from the film Banning (alongside songwriter Bob Russell); he had seven nominations in total. For TV, he scored programmes such as The Bill Cosby Show, Ironside and Roots.

His work with Sinatra began in 1958 when he was hired to conduct and arrange for Sinatra and his band by Grace Kelly, princess consort of Monaco, for a charity event. Jones and Sinatra continued working on projects until Sinatra’s final album, LA Is My Lady, in 1984. Jones’s solo musical career took off in the late 1950s, recording albums under his own name as bandleader for jazz ensembles that included luminaries such as Charles Mingus, Art Pepper and Freddie Hubbard.

Jones once said of his time in Seattle: “When people write about the music, jazz is in this box, R&B is in this box, pop is in this box, but we did everything,” and his catholic tastes served him well as modern pop mutated out of the swing era. He produced four million-selling hits for the New York singer Lesley Gore in the mid-60s, including the US No 1 It’s My Party, and later embraced funk and disco, producing hit singles including George Benson’s Give Me the Night and Patti Austin and James Ingram’s Baby Come to Me, along with records by the band Rufus and Chaka Khan, and the Brothers Johnson. Jones also released his own funk material, scoring US Top 10 albums with Body Heat (1974) and The Dude (1981).

His biggest success in this style was his work with Michael Jackson: Thriller remains the biggest selling album of all time, while Jones’s versatility between Off the Wall and Bad allowed Jackson to metamorphose from lithe disco to ultra-synthetic funk-rock. He and Jackson (along with Lionel Richie and producer Michael Omartian) also helmed We Are the World, a successful charity single that raised funds for famine relief in Ethiopia in 1985. “I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him,” Jones said when Jackson died in 2009. In 2017, Jones’s legal team successfully argued that he was owed $9.4m in unpaid Jackson royalties, though he lost on appeal in 2020 and had to return $6.8m.

After the success of The Color Purple in 1985, he formed the film and TV production company Quincy Jones Entertainment in 1990. His biggest screen hit was the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for 148 episodes and launched the career of Will Smith; other shows included the LL Cool J sitcom In the House and the long-running sketch comedy show MadTV.

He also created the media company Qwest Broadcasting and in 1993, the Black music magazine Vibe in partnership with Time Inc. Throughout his career he supported numerous charities and causes, including the , National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Jazz Foundation of America and others, and mentored young musicians including the British multiple Grammy winner Jacob Collier.

Jones’ illustrious career was twice nearly cut short: he narrowly avoided being killed by Charles Manson’s cult in 1969, having planned to go to Sharon Tate’s house on the night of the murders there, but Jones forgot the appointment. He also survived a brain aneurysm in 1974 that prevented him from playing the trumpet again in case the exertion caused further harm.

Jones was married three times, first to his high-school girlfriend Jeri Caldwell, for nine years until 1966, fathering his daughter Jolie. In 1967, he married Ulla Andersson and had a son and daughter, divorcing in 1974 to marry actor Peggy Lipton, best known for roles in The Mod Squad and Twin Peaks. They had two daughters, including the actor Rashida Jones, before divorcing in 1989. He had two further children: Rachel, with a dancer, Carol Reynolds, and Kenya, his daughter with actor Nastassja Kinski.

He never remarried, but continued to date a string of younger women, raising eyebrows with his year-long partnership with 19-year-old Egyptian designer Heba Elawadi when he was 73. He has also claimed to have dated Ivanka Trump and Juliette Gréco. He is survived by his seven children.

Other artists paying tribute included LL Cool J, who wrote: “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example. Mentor. Role model. King. You gave me opportunities and shared wisdom. Music would not be music without you.” Femi Koleoso, bandleader with Mercury prize-winning jazz group Ezra Collective, called Jones a “masterful musician and beautiful soul”.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[collidepress]

BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY = JANUARY 15

1622 = Molière = French actor and playwright 🌈

1893 = Ivor Novello = Welsh singer-songwriter and actor 🌈

[brummie-man-interests]

Ivor Novello [David Ivor Davies] (15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh composer, playwright and actor.

[ryqoshay]

Putting on Hairs: Post Production - Hiraeth of a Wolf and Ghost

Primary Pairing: N/A Starring: Ryo and Shizuku Also Starring: Chika, Setsuna, Kasumi Secondary Pairing: ShizuKasu Words: 655 Rating: G AU: Theater, Monsters Fandom: several LL gens, including an N girl from SIF Time Frame: Sometime during the main story Prompt: Hiraeth

---------

Author's Note: Bonus 2nd entry for the 8th that I forgot to post before the primary for the 9th

Summary: Ryo and Shizuku both may suffer from a form of hiraeth

---------

“Yes, Aikawa-san?”

“Ryo, please.”

Chika smiled. “Alright, Ryo-chan. Did you have a question about your character?”

“Indeed. I am curious as to Gwyndolyn’s motivation.”

The main roles of Putting on Hairs had been assigned and now the actors had gathered with the playwright and the director to go over some preliminary things before lines would be practiced and rehearsals started.

“She hates werewolves.” Chika explained.

“Yes, I saw that.” Ryo nodded. “However, there must be a reason for such burning hatred, and for her to take such extreme actions as she does. And I must know these motivations for me to truly understand the character and become her on stage.”

“Uhm…” Chika pursed her lips.

“If I may make a suggestion?” Shizuku spoke up.

“Mm?”

“Gwyndolyn’s name comes from Gwyn ap Nudd, I am correct?”

Chika grinned. “I’m happy someone caught that. I had a lot of fun looking up things for this play.”

“Then you know the name is of Welsh origin.”

“Yup! And associated with the Wild Hunt. And that’s why I made her a Hunter.”

Shizuku nodded. “Then perhaps her motivation could be <hiraeth>?”

“Hee-rye-th?” Chika sounded out the unfamiliar word.

“Oh!” Setsuna suddenly perked up. “A deep sense of longing or yearning for that which has passed. Gwendoln longs for a time when werewolves did not plague her lands!”

“Yes, that was what I had in mind.” Shizuku confirmed. “Perhaps someone she knows or loved was harmed by a werewolf. Or she perceives an imbalance in nature by their existence.”

“Or perhaps she regrets being turned…” Ryo murmured.

“That wasn’t exactly what I was going for…” Shizuku admitted.

Nico bit her tongue, unsure of what to make of her fellow werewolf’s statement.

“Please do not misunderstand me, Shizuku-san.” Ryo bowed slightly. “I am grateful for your observation and believe I have a better understanding of the character I am to play.”

“Right.” Chika spoke up. “I’m gonna add this heerythe thing to the script. Uhm… how do you spell it?”

---------

“Shizuku seemed to have a better understanding of that hearee thing than she let on.” Kasumi observed as she and her girlfriend made their way home.

“Mm…” Shizuku responded neutrally.

Of course Kasumi would be the one to notice. The little gremlin could be clueless about many things, but she often lived up to her proclamation of knowing everything about Shizuku. It was an endearing trait Shizuku loved about her girlfriend, even if it meant situations like this.

“<Hirgaeth.>” Shizuku repeated the term. “My guardians taught me the idea years ago to help me work through my own feelings of longing, loss and grief. I cannot return to the life I once had. The world cannot return to the way it once was. But I can move forward in the world I am in now.”

“And you can resolve your regret and pass on…”

“Well, I cannot exactly die of old age anymore.” The ghost said, perhaps a bit too cheerfully, considering the topic. “But I did promise my Kasumi-chan that I would not pass on without her.” She slipped an arm through her girlfriend’s. “For she is one of my main reasons to stay here.”

“One of?” Kasumi furrowed her brow. “Not the main reason?”

Shizuku smiled. Kasumi pouted. Shizuku laughed.

“Of course Kasumi-chan is the main reason.” Shizuku decided to stop teasing.

“Hmph. Keep that up and Kasumin won’t be making her super special dinner for Shizuko tonight.”

“That’s alright, I don’t need to eat if I discorporate my body.” Maybe the teasing wasn’t done after all.

“He~y! That’s no fair!”

Shizuku laughed again. “Alright, then perhaps I will make dinner instead?”

Kasumi considered the offer for a moment. “No, as much as Kasumin loves Shizuko’s cooking, I already have everything planned for tonight.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“You’d better.”

Yet again Shizuku couldn’t help laughing. Happily, she pulled her girlfriend closer as they approached their apartment.

---------

Author's Note Continued: I was trying to think about a second entry for the prompt when I remembered that I have a Welsh named character in one of the plays in PoH, specifically the namesake play. Add in some prior existing thoughts about Shizuku's longing or homesickness for a place lost to time and... other events, and I got this.

I will probably rework a few things when I get around to adding this into the PoH:PP collection. Perhaps mention Maki at some point, as she is playing one of the leads. Maybe give Nico an actual line or two, and Kasumi as well during the character discussion. And since Shizuku is an understudy here, I would want to include Hanayo, the other as well. We'll see.

[whatsonmedia]

Thursday Thrills: Dive into the Summer Festival Extravaganza!

August has arrived, and the festival frenzy is on fire! From beats that move your soul to moments that make you whole, this month is a symphony of experiences waiting to unfold. Let the rhythm of August lead you to unforgettable adventures, where music, magic, and memories collide in a spectacular dance of life. Step into the spotlight and let the festival season ignite your spirit! Edinburgh Festival 5 - 29 August With over 3,000 shows taking place, there is something for everyone at the Edinburgh Festival 2023. Headline acts include Sir Cliff Richard, TV presenter Gail Porter, film director Ken Loach, comedian Rhod Gilbert, playwright Alistair McDowall, and the musical "The Book of Mormon." There will also be a number of special events taking place, such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The festival is a celebration of the arts and culture from all over the world, and it is a great opportunity to see some of the best performers in the world. The lineup is diverse and eclectic, with something to appeal to all tastes. Whether you are a fan of theater, comedy, music, dance, or something else entirely, you are sure to find something to enjoy at the Edinburgh Festival 2023. So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets today and experience the Edinburgh Festival 2023 for yourself! Tickets & More Info>edinburghjazzfestival.com Stowaway Festival 18 – 20 Aug Stowaway Festival, a remarkable independent event, has firmly etched its place on the festival calendar. Elevate your festival camaraderie to new heights at this open-air extravaganza. Unleash your inhibitions, embrace the carefree spirit, and immerse yourself in a boundless realm of fun. Stowaway Festival is the ultimate destination for a grand-scale, all-out celebration. Dive into the beats and rhythms, as top DJs and live music artists set the stage for an electrifying experience. From seasoned ravers to newcomers and even the little ones, everyone can dance beneath the stars until dawn. But that's not all – Stowaway's enchanting concoction includes hidden parties, a serene woodland spa, exhilarating wild swimming and canoeing, moments of wellness and relaxation, and an array of activities for kids. Embark on a journey of discovery, unveiling the secret wonders of Stowaway's realm. With a big line-up to keep you toe-tapping all weekend which includes Crazy P, Dan Shake, David Rodigan, Eats Everything, Soulworks, Nicky Blackmarket, Roy Ayers, Easy Star All-Stars, House Gospel Choir, Irvine Welsh, Jamz Supernova, Joe Goddard, Little Dragon, Todd Edwards, Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy, Junior Jungle, Balearic Ultras, Ben Virgo, A For Alpha, Harvey Skipper, Jono McCleery, Dr Dubplate, Diego Soundsystem, Alabaster, Llewellyn Brothers, Robots With No Soul and more Tickets & More Info> stowawayfestival.co.uk Notting Hill Carnival 27-28 August The Notting Hill Carnival is back in 2023, and it's going to be bigger and better than ever! With over 2 million people expected to attend, this is the ultimate celebration of Caribbean culture. The lineup for 2023 is still being finalized, but you can expect to see some of the biggest names in Caribbean music, including Machel Montano, Beenie Man, and Spice. There will also be a wide variety of other performers, from steel bands to dancehall artists. In addition to the music, the Notting Hill Carnival is also known for its colorful costumes and vibrant atmosphere. So whether you're looking to dance the day away or just soak up the culture, the Notting Hill Carnival is the place to be in August 2023. Tickets & More Info> nhcarnival.org/ Escape 19 Aug Big brand festival company, Climax Live are going all out to host one of the biggest mash ups in Swansea Wales, this summer.  Taking things up 10 notches, party loving people going to this danceathon can get their groove on to some of the biggest current names in House, Trance, Drum & Bass and more.  It’s a one dayer for the hardcore stayer making the most of every moment.  Think rave to the grave! With expectations to dance to the hotest tunes from the packed dancefloor clubs to the field of dance music dreams.  EDM heaven.  With all the festival paraphernalia making this one raver one stop until ya pop n drop. It’s a time for the great dance music Escape! Expect a line-up of DJ royalty for the marathon rave up. Including Alex Kidd, Ben Hemsley, Born on Road, Bryan Kearney, DJ Isaac, Danny Howard, David Rust, Disrupta, Ellie Cocks, Faze 2, GW Harrison, Gally & Jusice, Ilario Alicante, John O'Callaghan, Judge Jules, Juliet Fox, Kanine, Kings of the Rollers, Layton Giordani, Marco Carola, Marco Faraone, Maria Healy, NOIZU, Nicole Moudaber, Paul Clark, Paul Clark, Paul Woolford, Sander Van Doorn, Shy FX, Wilkinson, Will Atkinson, Will Rees, Zatox Tickets & More Info> escapefestival.co.uk Green Man 17 – 20 Aug Long standing independent festival, returns each year bigger and better in beautiful Welsh surroundings of Breacon Beacons South Wales.  Offering a mixture of arts, music and also includes literature, film and children's entertainment, as well as stalls and organic foods on the 'village green'. It’s such a good festival, its loyal 25,000 festival goers always leave happy yearning for next year.  The festival has sold out Expect live music from bands, solo artists and a mighty selection of DJS including Confidence Man, First Aid Kit, Devo, Spiritualized, Amyl And The Sniffers, Slowdive, The Walkmen, Young Fathers, The Comet Is Coming, Lankum, Snail Mail, Squid, The Delgados, Horace Andy, Daniel Avery (LIVE), Sudan Archives, Obongjaar, Courtney Marie Andrews, Dur-Dur Band, Alabaster Deplume, Beth Orton Tickets & More Info> greenman.net Trentham Live 17 – 20 Aug Trentham gardens in Staffordshire hosts its annual live music events across this weekend in its amazing location.  The line-up for the weekend’s entertainment features sells out tours from some of the UK and Global most favourite bands, well-known singers and legendary DJs whichever night you choose to go. You’ll be met by a crowd of people who are up for a great time with likeminded people. The line-up includes McFly, The Hoosiers, Feeder, Jake Bugg, The Feeling, Chase and Status, Sigma, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Olly Murs, Natalie Imbruglia Tickets & More Info> trentham.co.uk Beautiful Days 18 – 20 Aug The Levellers' Family Music Festival, orchestrated by DMF Music, stands as an independent labor of love, free from sponsorship or funding. Welcoming all to Devonshire's divine Escot Park in 2023, it offers diverse stages, Site Art, a Children's Area, Healing Village, Walkabout Theatre, family camping, and real ale bars. The coveted lineup includes Suede, Primal Scream, Levellers, Johnny Marr, The Waterboys, Indigo Girls, The Dead South, The Proclaimers, Gaz Coombes, Reef, and Gok Wan. Don't miss this enchanting, sold-out event uniting music, art, and celebration. Tickets & More Info> beautifuldays.org Hospitality In The Woods 19 Aug Returning to magnificent surroundings of Beckenham Place Park London. One of the biggest and best drum n bass DJ line-ups on the UK summer festival calendar.  It’s time to get your best rave on for the supreme d'n'b brand, Hospitality records festival. Promising to deliver big on every aspect. All you have to do is show up in your best happy vibe. Featruing a stellar line-up of d'n'b elite to feast ya dance music feet on this is going to be one very special one-dayer that its festival lovers have been waiting all year for.  Hot on the line-up is Netsky, High Contrast, Camo & Krooked, Ayah Marar, Metrik, London Elektricity, Roni Size, Calibre, LTJ Bukem, Etherwood, Harry Shotta, LTJ Bukem, Sub Zero, Bladerunner, Goddard, Kasra, Disrupta, Bryan Gee, 2Shy, MC GQ, Nu:Tone Tickets & more> hospitalityinthewoods.com Read the full article

[yourdailyqueer]

Emlyn Williams (deceased)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

DOB: 26 November 1905  

RIP: 25 September 1987

Ethnicity: White - Welsh

Occupation: Screenwriter, playwright, writer, actor, director

[gkminz]

Benedict Cumberbatch Net Worth 2023

Benedict Cumberbatch is a highly acclaimed English actor known for his versatile performances on stage, television, and film. He was born in London in 1976 and studied drama at the University of Manchester before training at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Cumberbatch gained recognition for his roles in the television series "Sherlock," for which he received multiple awards, and the film "The Imitation Game," which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He has also appeared in numerous other films and TV shows, including "Doctor Strange," "Star Trek Into Darkness," and "The Hobbit" trilogy. Cumberbatch is widely regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation and has a devoted fan base around the world.

Family Background

Benedict Cumberbatch comes from a family with a rich and diverse background. His ancestry includes English, Scottish, Welsh, and even a distant French Huguenot descent. Let's take a closer look at his family background.

Cumberbatch's father, Timothy Carlton, is also an actor who has appeared in numerous TV shows and films. He was born Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch in 1944 and later changed his name to Timothy Carlton to avoid confusion with another actor. Carlton's father, Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, was a British diplomat who served in various countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, and Iran.

Cumberbatch's mother, Wanda Ventham, is also an actress who has appeared in several British TV shows and films. She was born in 1935 in Brighton, England, to a British father and a Czechoslovakian mother. Ventham's father, Frederick Ventham, was a British army officer who served in India and Burma during World War II.

Cumberbatch has a younger sister named Tracy Peacock, who is a novelist and playwright. She was born in 1973 and has published several acclaimed works, including the novel "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil."

Cumberbatch's family has a long history of academic and artistic achievements. His great-grandfather, Henry Arnold Cumberbatch, was a prominent British mathematician and logician who served as a fellow at Cambridge University. His great-great-grandfather, Robert William Cumberbatch, was a bishop of Barbados in the late 19th century.

Cumberbatch's family background has undoubtedly influenced his own interests and pursuits. He has often spoken about the importance of his family and how they have supported him throughout his career. With such a diverse and accomplished family, it is no wonder that Cumberbatch has become one of the most talented actors of his generation.

Net Worth And Salary

Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the most successful actors in the world, with a career that has spanned television, film, and theater. As a result of his success, he has amassed a significant net worth through his earnings from acting roles, endorsements, and investments.

Net Worth: According to Celebrity Net Worth, Benedict Cumberbatch's net worth is estimated to be around $40 million as of 2023. This is a significant increase from his reported net worth of $30 million in 2021. His net worth is expected to continue growing in the coming years as he takes on new projects and expands his investment portfolio.

Salary: Benedict Cumberbatch's salary for acting roles varies depending on the project and his role in it. For example, he reportedly earned $250,000 per episode for his role in the BBC series "Sherlock." His salary for films has also varied, with some sources reporting that he earned $2.5 million for his role in "Doctor Strange" and $6.5 million for "Avengers: Infinity War."

Endorsements: In addition to his acting earnings, Benedict Cumberbatch has also earned money through various endorsements. He has been a brand ambassador for brands such as Dunhill, Jaguar, and Samsung. In 2018, he signed a deal with high-end watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre to become a brand ambassador for the company.

Investments: Benedict Cumberbatch has also made investments in various ventures, including the production company SunnyMarch, which he co-founded in 2013. The company has produced several successful films and television series, including "Patrick Melrose," "The Child in Time," and "The Courier." Cumberbatch also owns a stake in a London-based restaurant and bar, called the Marylebone Filling Station.

In conclusion, Benedict Cumberbatch's net worth, salary, and endorsements are a testament to his success and talent as an actor. He has earned a significant amount of money through his acting roles, endorsements, and investments, and his net worth is expected to continue growing in the coming years. His diverse range of investments and endorsements indicate that he is not only a talented actor, but also a savvy businessman. Read More...

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 1.15

Beer Birthdays

Joseph Junk (1841)

Frank Ibert (1859)

Jaime Jurado (1959)

Steven Kinsey (1973)

Five Favorite Birthdays

"Queen Ida" Guillory; Zydeco musician (1929)

Martin Luther King, Jr.; minister, civil rights leader (1929)

Gene Krupa; jazz drummer (1909)

Jean-Baptiste Moliere; French writer (1622)

Robert Silverberg; science fiction writer (1935)

Famous Birthdays

Goodman Ace; comedian (1899)

Captain Beefheart; rock musician (1941)

Lee Bontecou; painter and sculptor (1931)

​​Eugène Brands; Dutch painter (1913)

Drew Brees; football player (1979)

Lloyd Bridges; actor (1913)

Jean Bugatti; auto maker (1909)

Robert Byrd; politician (1917)

Eddie Cahill; actor (1978)

Dove Cameron; actress and singer (1996)

Charo; pop singer (1951)

Phyllis Coates; actress (1927)

Julian Cope; pop singer (1957)

Martha Davis; pop singer (1951)

Matt Duffy; baseball player (1991)

Franz Grillparzer; Austrian author, poet, and playwright (1791)

Earl Hooker; rock guitarist (1929)

Adam Jones; rock musician (1965)

Regina King; actress (1971)

Philip Livingston; signer of the Declaration of Independence (1716)

Chad Lowe; actor (1968)

Alex Mae; pornstar (1997)

Andrea Martin; actor, comedian (1947)

Gamal Nasser; Egyptian politician (1918)

Ivor Novello; Welsh singer-songwriter and actor *1893)

Margaret O'Brien; actor (1937)

Aristotle Onasis; Greek businessman (1906)

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon; French writer (1809)

Pitbull; rapper (1981)

Julian Sands; actor (1958)

Maria Schell; Austrian-Swiss actress (1926)

Algernon Sidney; British philosopher (1623)

Kobe Tai; pornstar (1972)

Edward Teller; physicist (1908)

Mario Van Peebles; actor (1957)

Grace VanderWaal; singer-songwriter (2004)

Ronnie Van Zandt; rock musician (1948)

Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist (1895)

Stanisław Wyspiański; Polish poet, playwright & painter (1869)

[invisibleicewands]

Actor Michael Sheen has unveiled his ambitions to "buck the trend" in Wales with the launch of his recently announced Welsh National Theatre, revealing plans to commission original work and "galvanise" the sector.

He said that ideas were already "bubbling away" for the new company, announced last week, which he added would be "lean" and not subservient to external funding. 

Sheen said that his new organisation was set to unleash "a canon of great Welsh plays just waiting to be discovered" on "the grandest stages around the world" following the closure of the National Theatre Wales in its current form. 

Speaking to The Stage on the day of his company’s launch, Sheen said that although behind-the-scenes planning long pre-dated the announcement in December that NTW had ceased operations, the precarious state of the Welsh performing arts industry had compelled him to take action. 

Sustained squeezes to funding has left remaining Welsh theatres hampered by "eye-watering" building costs, staff burnout and a skills drain, research by Creu Cymru revealed last week.

Asked if the jeopardy facing Welsh theatre made him nervous for his venture, the actor said: "I’d be very foolish to not take on board what the climate is like, but I’m using that as a springboard to go in the other direction.

"It’s because of the situation, because of the circumstances and how difficult and bleak they’re looking – that is my incentive."

Recalling hearing the news that National Theatre Wales’ funding had been scrapped while rehearsing for his role as NHS founding father and Welshman Aneurin Bevan in Nye, Sheen said the company’s closure a year later "didn’t come as a massive surprise, but it was still incredibly upsetting that we’ve been left without a national theatre in Wales". 

Now Sheen is to finance certain elements of a new Welsh National Theatre as well as running it as artistic director. 

"I’m a unique position in some ways," he told The Stage, "I have my own resources. And I don’t just mean financially, although that is part of it. I can buck the trend, or at least try to change the current a bit. I don’t have to go cap in hand to people right now.

"There are enough people who want to work with me as an individual that I can say: ‘Okay, how about working with us as a company?’ I can convene people, I can get doors opened, I can commission playwrights and hopefully I can galvanise and catalyse things in a way that maybe other people are not in a position to do. I want to make the most of that while it’s still the case."

Despite ongoing discussions with public sector organisations, there is, as yet, no confirmed external funding stream for the Welsh National Theatre. However, Sheen has said that this tighter way of operating suited him. 

"In my experience of things I’ve done outside the acting world around activism, supporting community development projects, I’ve found that keeping things very, very simple and lean allows you to focus on your actual incentive and ideals," he told The Stage. 

"I’m hoping that what we can do is create work of quality and that is popular enough for people to come in high enough numbers to be sustainable so that we’re not relying too much on outside funding and, if we are, that it’s diversified so that we don’t leave ourselves vulnerable by being too dependent on any one source of funding."

Details are still to come about the Welsh National Theatre’s first production, which is tipped to be staged at Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre and to feature Sheen himself.

The artistic director, who has received four Olivier nominations during his career, said he currently planned to produce one large-scale show per year, and hoped that the company’s annual output would increase in future. 

"I could, potentially, announce a three-year programme right now, but it’s still being organised," he said. "But even though we’ve essentially only launched today, there’s so much exciting stuff already bubbling away. I commissioned a new play today. There are already writers who are commissioned to do new stuff. 

"But I want to start simple. So what we’re aiming for right now, with no funding, is one big production a year, but when circumstances allow it, we’ll expand. I don’t want to run before we can walk. I want to do the simple things really, really well – fantastic things on great stages for audiences that it’ll be meaningful for."

Wales-focused storytelling, Sheen continued, was the company’s key focus, something that he said had been under-programmed and under-nurtured in recent years.

"There are a lot of writers out there who are itching to write the big plays and just don’t feel that there’s the support for that," he said. "[Their plays] are not going to get a production – they’re going to get put on, if at all, for two nights in a studio. And, obviously, people write for what they’re going to get put on. 

"So I want to create an environment for writers to be able to take a big swing, and feel supported in that – both new writing and looking at classic plays through a Welsh lens, picking out things that really resonate with Welsh culture and identity. I want to build up that canon." 

Sheen also called for the government to commit to the importance of culture, contending that without an understanding that it was not simply an indulgence, negotiations about funding were "pointless". 

"Before you get into any conversation about funding, which is of course extremely important, first and foremost I think there needs to be a conversation about why we need art, culture and theatre," he told The Stage. 

"If the people who have the levers of power and who hold the purse strings don’t actually believe in it, or understand what it represents, then it’s pointless getting into arguments about funding. 

"The arts are not a luxury add-on. They are fundamental to how we function as a culture and as a society, how we understand ourselves and each other, how we process where we’ve been and what’s happening to us so that we can understand what the possibilities are for moving forward. Unless that conversation is had, then there’s no point talking about funding." 

[thealogie]

Michael Sheen taking over the Welsh National Theatre: “We have better Welsh playwrights than Tim Price, I swear”

Idk guys I want to believe he understood deep down that this wasn’t a well written play but I fear his love for Nye Bevan and also audiences falling at his feet with such force that they brought the play back for a second run might herald additional tim price plays.