Rhys wants to be a boxer while his father wants to learn Welsh. Yasmin is living with her nan while her mother wants to be looking over the plains of Uganda. The children can’t speak to their parents, and the parents don’t understand how their children are feeling.
In Mari Lloyd’s moving and sharply funny play, we see the world through the eyes of two sparring 18-year-olds in a small Welsh ex-mining town as they try to comprehend the actions of their parents and begin to realise, they have bigger things to fight for.
Told through interwoven monologues, the play captures the uncertainty of growing up and the search for connection. It touches on themes of mental health, family struggles, and finding strength in unexpected places. Rhys sees boxing as more than a sport—it’s his way of controlling his emotions and fighting for his place in the world. Yasmin feels lost, unsure of where she belongs. Their stories reflect a broader experience of young people searching for identity and purpose.
The play’s minimalistic yet immersive staging highlights the emotional weight of their journeys creating a powerful production about youth, identity and resilience.
Playwright Mari Lloyd, who grew up in the Rhondda Valley, brings a personal touch to the script and directed by Julia Stubbs, the production encapsulates its sharp writing, youthful energy and will draw audiences into the characters’ inner worlds. The play stays with you long after the final moment.
South Wales Tour (in order of dates)
Performance Length: approx. 80 minutes (no interval). Free post-show discussion afterwards.
Thursday 13 March at 7.00 pm
Soar Centre – Sparc | Valleys Kids
Tylacelyn Road, Penygraig, Tonypandy, CF40 1JZ
*supported by the Arts Council of Wales’ Night Out scheme
TICKETS: £5 | £2
Email for bookings: [email protected] | Website: www.sparc.wales
Friday 14 March at 7.30 pm
Stiwdio 1 – Park & Dare Theatre
Station Road, Treorchy, CF42 6NL
TICKETS: £11
Box Office: 03000 040 444 | Website: www.rct-theatres.co.uk
Saturday 15 March at 7.30 pm
The Studio – Blackwood Miners’ Institute
High Street, Blackwood, NP12 1BB
TICKETS: £15 | £13
Box Office: 01495 227 206 | Website: www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com
Friday 21 March at 7.00 pm
Moondance Studio – YMa
Stryd Taff, Pontypridd, CF37 4TS
TICKETS: £8 | £6
Box Office: 01443 490 390 | Website: www.ymaonline.wales
Saturday 22 March at 2.30 pm & 7.30 pm
The Studio Theatre – The Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre
Kingsway, Newport NP20 1HG
TICKETS: £13.50
Box Office: 01633 656 757 | Website: www.newportlive.co.uk/Riverfront
Thursday 27 March at 7.00 pm
Porter’s Theatre, Cardiff
Porter’s Theatre – Porter’s Cardiff, Barrack Lane, Cardiff, CF10 2GS | On the corner at the end of Barrack Lane and Hill Street – opposite the old Debenhams.
TICKETS: £12 | £10
Website: www.porterscardiff.org/theatre
Friday 28 March at 7.00 pm
Cwmavon Village Hall
Cwmavon Road, Pontypool, NP4 8XH
*supported by the Arts Council of Wales’ Night Out scheme
TICKETS: £5
Box Office: 07770 687 627 | Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cwmavonvillagehall.weebly.com
Saturday 29 March at 7.00 pm
Tylorstown Welfare Hall
East Road, Tylorstown, CF43 3DA
*supported by the Arts Council of Wales’ Night Out scheme
TICKETS: £8
Box Office: 01443 730 534 | Website www.tylorstownwelfarehall.co.uk