Act One is Cardiff’s biggest drama society. Last year we put on ten productions, including orginal writing, a pantomine, a Shakespeare, and a musical, and also sent two shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! This year we have eight productions, which will be performed between December and May. Auditions were held for our first five productions in October, and in November for the final three. If you enjoy acting, dancing, singing, socialising, or are interested in helping backstage with costumes, make-up, set design, publicity, stage management, sound or lighting, then we are the society for you!
As the winner of 'Best Large Society' for three years running, we have a reputation for our friendly, inviting atmosphere, impressive productions, imaginative socials - including our annual trip abroad - and the Act One Ball! We also run smaller-scale productions, workshops and open mic nights, so if you're a fresher and want to direct, or you don’t get cast in a main production, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved!
We are excited to announce that this year’s productions are:
Rap-Unzel (30th November - 2nd December)
A girl. A dream. An evil mother. A fairy drag queen. When Rapunzel loses her voice her dream of becoming a Broadway star is shattered. Can she and her new friends, battle the mother of all evil, reclaim her tantalising vocals, and discover new ways to create music along the way? Only one way to find out...
-written and directed by Emily Broad, co-directed by Poppy Parker
The Picture of Dorian Gray (8th - 11th February)
An adaptation of Oscar Wilde's famous novel that focuses on aspects of facade, repression and sin within Victorian England.
"One evening Dorian Gray was presented with a little yellow book, and from then on everything he touched seemed to become tarnished by those little yellow pages."
- adapted and directed by Monica Thomas
The Duchess of Malfi (23rd - 25th February)
A classic of the revenge tragedy genre, 'The Duchess of Malfi' weaves family, religion and gender into a blood soaked web of corruption. This stylised adaptation will drag this 400-year-old play into the 21st Century by speaking to our most modern preoccupations...
-directed by Martin Newman
Find Me (16th - 18th March)
An abstract story of the life of Verity Taylor, a young girl struggling with schizophrenia. The play tackles relationships and mental health, and is not for the faint hearted.
-directed by Rhian Peake, co-directed by Georgia Tapp
Songs for a New World (22nd - 25th March)
'It's about one moment. It's about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.' An abstract musical about that one moment in life when everything you thought you knew crumbles beneath your feet, and you embark on a journey through a new world.
-directed by Owain Huw
The Wonderful World of Dissocia (30th - 31st March)
Lisa Jones is on a journey. It’s a colourful and brilliant trip in search of one lost hour that has tipped the balance of her life. The inhabitants of the wonderful world she finds herself in – Dissocia – are a curious blend of the funny, the friendly, and the brutal.
-directed by Hanan FD
Playhouse Creatures (5th - 6th April)
It’s 1663 and for the first time women are permitted to perform on stage. Playhouse Creatures blends comedy and tragedy as it follows the stories of England’s most famous actresses as they battle for recognition, independence and equality in the male-dominated world of theatre.
-directed by Poppy Charlton
Want to get in touch?
All of this year's productions have now been assigned cast and crew. However, we still have a comedy sketch night and Staging a Coup (an evening showcasing original writing), and will be running auditions for the shows we'll be sending up to the Edinburgh Fringe. If you are interested in joining Act One or have any questions please contact a member of committee through Facebook, or send a message to our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ActOneDramaSociety
N.B. If you are not a Cardiff University student and wish to purchase a ticket for one of our productions you can do so by creating a 'temporary account'.
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