Dancing around a knotty problem

Sep 23 2010 by Sarah Batley, North Wales Weekly News

ALYS Thomas has a knotty problem in her latest performance – learning to knit.

The S4C and BBC TV star from Llangollen plays Agnes in Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa, at Mold’s Clwyd Theatr Cymru.

The passionate portrait of a family on the cusp of change opens the new season.

“Agnes is a shy but determined character, she’s no pushover. But she knits all the time and I can’t knit,” laughs Alys, 32.

“I had to watch YouTube to learn how to cast on and purl. I’m left handed so that’s not helped either. I think it’s been a challenge for other people playing the character as well, as there’s sites with hints how they coped with it on stage.”

The play, directed by Kate Wasserberg, is set in County Donegal in 1936, at the Festival of Lughnasa, Celtic god of harvest.

The five Mundy sisters, aged 26 to 40, struggle to survive.

They dream of dancing and finding love in this study of the relationships between women and men, paganism and faith, modernity and tradition.

Alys, who now lives in Cardiff, is best known to TV viewers from S4C’s drama series Caerdydd, and BBC1’s Mistresses. Her Clwyd Theatr Cymru credits include Arcadia, A Toy Epic and Flora’s War.

Dancing at Lughnasa, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Sept 30 to Oct 23. Tickets 0845 330 3565 or clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk