National Theatre Wales casts for pre-Edinburgh Fringe shows

July 5, 2019 by

Hinterland and Keeping Faith actress, Hannah Daniel, will make her Edinburgh Fringe debut this summer in National Theatre Wales’ production of For All I Care. Audiences in Wales can catch Edinburgh preview performances of the show in Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, on 24 and 25 July 2019.

For All I Care is written by Alan Harris, whose previous work presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe includes Sugar Baby and How My Light is Spent. The production is directed by Jac Ifan Moore.

For All I Care is one of two productions from National Theatre Wales which will be staged at Edinburgh’s Summerhall throughout this year’s Edinburgh Festival. Cotton Fingers, written by Rachel Tresize, directed by Julia Thomas, starring Amy Molloy, will also run throughout the festival.

Ahead of her rehearsals for For All I Care, Hannah Daniel said, “I feel extremely lucky to be working with National Theatre Wales on this project – Alan has written an incredibly heart-felt, funny piece that I can’t wait to get under the skin of under Jac’s direction. Essentially, it’s a story about human connection, care and kindness – which I think we could all do with a dose of these days! I love the Edinburgh Festival – I always leave buzzing with joy, so to be performing this year with NTW, is very exciting indeed.”

Talking about the play, writer Alan Harris said, “There’s a need in society for answers right now; answers to why there has been, effectively, no government since the Brexit vote, why the Health Inspectorate recently felt the need to criticise the provision of beds for young people with mental health problems in Wales, the list of these “whys” could go on… One thing is for sure, the status quo isn’t providing any answers and that pushes people into radical actions. This is a play about the difficult and often impossible choices people are faced with every day. There are two very different central characters in For All I Care, both yearning for a connection despite the pressures they’re under. We need that connection right now, from character to character, actor to audience to the wider world.”

Clara and Nyri. Two very different women. Two complicated lives. Both having a very bad day.

Mental health nurse Nyri’s woken up hungover with a younger man. Meanwhile, Clara has developed a compulsive wink and can’t remember if she’s taken her meds.

Nyri needs to get to Ebbw Vale Hospital via Greggs, and Clara is dodging signs telling her – rather rudely – to kill herself, so she can get cracking with her shoplifting list for The Devil.

For All I Care and Cotton Fingers are two monologues from the ‘Love Letter to the NHS’, a series of monologues which premiered in July 2018 as part of the NHS70 Festival, National Theatre Wales celebration of the Service’s 70th birthday.

Whilst in Edinburgh, For All I Care will be presented as part of This is Wales – Edinburgh showcase. Whilst Cotton Fingers is presented as part of the British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2019.

National Theatre Wales returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer having previously visited with shows such as Dark Philosophers, Wonderman and The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning – a play about the American soldier convicted of releasing US state secrets to Wikileaks. The play was announced as the first winner of the James Tait Black Prize for drama at the festival.

For All I Care will be performed at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff on 24 and 25 July 2019 at 7.30pm. Ticket prices are £12/£10. Tickets are now on sale via the Box Office – 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org

For All I Care will be performed in the Main Hall of Summerhall, Edinburgh from 31 July to 25 August (except Mondays) at 1.30pm 0131 226 0000 / https://tickets.edfringe.com/
Ticket prices: £14 (£12 conc), £8 on 1 Aug, £5 on 31 July

Cotton Fingers will be performed in the Main Hall of Summerhall, Edinburgh from 31 July to 25 August (except Mondays) at 12.15pm 0131 226 0000 / https://tickets.edfringe.com/
Ticket prices: £14 (£12 conc), £8 on 1 Aug, £5 on 31 July.

Leave a Reply