Mr Jones Review

Mr Jones Review

27th February – 1st March 2025

Being Welsh is so much more than an identity. It’s a feeling that lives in your very core and it’s not one that’s easy to shake. To bottle that feeling up and send it on its merry way along the M4 to London is no small feat.

Yet, the moment I walked into Union Theatre on Thursday evening, I was well and truly back home. The foyer had been transformed into Aberfan RFC. There was singing, dancing, pint-downing and the obligatory calling of “Oggy, Oggy, Oggy? Oi, Oi, Oi” as strangers united in a powerful rendition of Tom Jones’ Delilah.

“Being Welsh is so much more than an identity. It’s a feeling that lives in your very core”

Before everyone got too merry, the audience were encouraged to take our seats in the next room. The set was simple yet effective and as the audience were introduced to Stephen (Liam Holmes) and Angharad (Tanwen Stokes), we were quickly transported to the small mining village located a few miles south of Merthyr Tydfil. 

Like any small Welsh village or town, rugby and gossip are the key players of day to day life, particularly when Aberfan RFC were well on their way to making history at the cup final. As the self-proclaimed King of the Village practised his kicks and discussed Maggie Smythe’s return to the village and somebody else’s love for the thrill of an insulin spike with Angharad, another type of history was being made in Aberfan.

Holmes’ retelling of the 1966 tragedy, which is explored through the loss of Stephen’s younger brother, Dafydd, was empathetic, impactful and shiveringly raw.  

Throughout both acts, Stephen addresses the audience as though he’s speaking to his Dad or his Gramps in a way which uses the silence to explore the complexities of grief. Holme’s performance in the final moments, as the Green Green Grass of Home got louder and Holme’s cries got more visceral, was exceptional and one that will stay with me for a long time. 

So what are you waiting for, mun? Get your ticket and go and see it while you can. 

Maggie John

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