Review: Passion, emotion and energy makes everyone feel involved in Mold Riots

I was lucky enough to be invited along to one of the performances, and going into it I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but what I got was an experience that made me feel as if I was a part of the action, and allowed me to connect with the characters and emotions being portrayed by the actors.

The production takes you on a journey through the streets of Mold, from the High Street, to Daniel Owen Square, up to St Mary's Church and more

The production takes you on a journey through the streets of Mold, from the High Street, to Daniel Owen Square, up to St Mary’s Church and more as you follow a group of miners and their dispute with their boss John Young over wage cuts, which ultimately leads to the Mold Riots of 1869.

First and foremost, the performance from the cast as a whole was terrific.

The energy, commitment and passion they showed throughout the performance was what hit me the most, even those that were limited to roles as extras who mingled amongst the audience never let their guard down for a second.

The audience engagement was a particular highlight as it made me feel like I was actually part of the events unfolding, rather than just watching it.

I was approached by two women offering to sell me a suit, as well as called over by another lady trying to sell me sweets from her store.

During another segment, I was handed a lantern and a flag and encouraged to lead the marching crowd through the streets of Mold.

These small gestures made for a big part of my enjoyment, it was a very clever aspect of the play, and it contributed to not only my enjoyment, but everyone around me as well.

Ahead of the play, I discovered that Mold Riots is a bilingual play, some parts are in English, others in Welsh, other scenes have a bit of both.

As someone who does not speak a word of Welsh, this was a concern for me as I was worried that I wouldn’t follow what was going on.

However, to the credit of the writing and once again the acting, I never found myself lost or confused for a second, and despite minutes of dialogue being spoken in a language that I couldn’t understand, through emotion and gesticulation, I was able to follow every step of the story.

The production also effectively touches on many social topics of the time, which arguably we are still debating today, including how different genders and the role of each gender is perceived, as well as immigration, the gulf between the working and middle class, and the dismissal of the Welsh language in favour of English.

The production successfully utilises the picturesque scenery of Mold to recreate the events that led to the riots 150 years ago, and despite walking around in 2019, the sights and sounds lead you to believe that you have been transported to the past, while the acting, music and structure of the play makes you feel like you are participating in the performance.

The show was well worth a watch, whether you are a fan of history or not.