TICKETS go on sale today (Monday 16 May) for this year’s Fishguard and West Wales International Music Festival concerts. The full programme is available to view on the Festival website www.fishguardmusicfestival.com and features the largest number of performances in the Festival’s history extending over three weeks in August and September.

The events will be staged at thirteen venues across Pembrokeshire from 20 August to 10 September, with a launch concert by the National Youth Brass Band of Wales at St David’s Cathedral on 5th August.

Artists performing at this year’s festival include Dame Sarah Conolly who appears as soloist with the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, and Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams. There will be song recitals by renowned Welsh soprano Rebecca Evans with pianist Andrew Matthews-Owen, and tenor Stuart Jackson with Jocelyn Freeman. Chamber music concerts include performances by the Sacconi Quartet, Peter Donohoe, Harriet Mackenzie and Morgan Szymanski. The European Union Chamber Orchestra and WNO Chamber Orchestra make welcome return visits, and The Marian Consort performs ‘Music from the Sistine Chapel’ at St David’s Cathedral as well as taking part in the ‘Saints and Stones’ tour of historic churches and chapels. Folk group Vrȉ will perform alongside Pedair, and Khamira will close the Festival on Saturday September 10th with a fusion of Welsh and Indian music at the Merlin Theatre, Haverfordwest.

Tickets will be on sale from 9.00am on Monday 16th of May and can be booked via the Festival website at www.fishguardmusicfestival.com

Gillian Green MBE, Artistic Director of the Fishguard and West Wales Music Festival, said: “I am very excited about the variety of events in this year’s Festival which comprise a feast of world-class music covering six centuries as well as new commissions by Welsh composers Nathan James Dearden and Geraint Lewis. Pembrokeshire will greet musicians from across the UK, Mexico and India and there will be a talk by Professor Michael Spitzer whose book The Musical Human was a recent Radio 4 ‘Book of the Week’.

FOLLOWING a successful private premiere, Pembrokeshire-shot film will have its first public premiere this week. 

“Scam” is a neo-noir crime thriller feature, which follows the story of a family of scammers. It explores interdependence and abuse via a claustrophobic mother-daughter relationship, and illustrates how social media platforms provide an easily-accessible global reach for scam artists. 

The film also follows the story of Ella, the youngest daughter in the family. After learning the truth behind her father’s death, Ella is determined to avenge her beloved dad and finally set herself free by devising the greatest scam of them all. 

A desire for an easy buck may challenge our morality and brutalise our sensibilities, but how malicious must someone become to escape exploitation?

‘Scam’ is a women-centred narrative that explores themes of interdependence and abuse, and touches on other issues such as ageing, grief, loyalty, entitlement, greed and ego. 

The film dramatises the challenge of living alongside someone with an undiagnosed mental health condition; in this case, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NCP). 

Through its depiction of the exponential growth and pervasive reach of social media scams, it also poses the question of how much criminals are victims and vice versa.

Pembrokeshire-based filmmakers, Nick Swannell and Alison Rayner, joined together in early 2021. The pair credit most of the film’s success to the help of generous locals. 

It was shot on a very limited budget, across several Pembrokeshire locations over 16 days during lockdown.

When discussing the challenges faced when shooting a no-budget feature, director and co-producer, Nick Swannell, said: “The biggest thing was lack of personnel; when you can’t afford crew everyone has to do multiple jobs and it can get pretty hectic. 

“We bought props and costumes from charity shops, built sets, blagged locations, borrowed vehicles and lighting equipment.

“Yes, it limits the scope of your story and constrains what you can show on-screen, but that forces you to think more creatively.”

When asked how they met, and their experiences as co-producers, Alison Rayner said: “Both of us had experience writing and producing short films and in late 2019 Nick hosted a ‘Thriller Night’ of his short films in Narberth, Pembrokeshire. I’d been on the lookout for a local director to help me tell my stories and Nick was the only filmmaker I could find in Pembrokeshire (and his films were impressive)!”

Cate Lovett, an experienced actor, is joined by newcomers Megan Lote-Williams, a singer/songwriter, and actor Bibi MacDougall.

The public premiere will take place in Theatr Gwaun on Saturday, May 14. Tickets will be available at a discounted price.

There will also be a screening at the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven at 7:30 on Friday, July 8, as well as a screening at Queen’s Hall Narberth at a date yet to be confirmed. 

The film will then be screened around the UK as well as being streamed internationally. 

To book tickets please visit www.theatrgwaun.com/cinema or telephone 01348 873421.

THE WORD legend is frequently used to describe stars and celebrities – but few deserve the accolade more than Judy Garland.

The former child star – who was literally chewed up and spat out by the Hollywood studio system of the 40s and 50s – is one of the best known – and best-loved – movie performers of all time.

Her life was a litany of tragedy – some self-induced – far more inflicted upon her by Hollywood and by the people around her.

And now her story is the subject of a fabulous musical, written by Terry Wale – and it is the latest offering from Vision Theatre Company, based at Vision Arts, the new performing arts hub for Pembrokeshire, in Haverfordwest.

Fresh from their triumphant production of Evita, at the Queen’s Hall, in Narberth last month, Vision Theatre Company is now taking on Judy – The Judy Garland Musical; featuring numbers such as The Trolley Song, You Made Me Love You and, of course, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Vision’s Creative Director Drew Baker will be at the helm with young Judy played by Poppy Howells and Terri Harrison as Judy in later life.

Performances take place at Boulevard Showbar, in Charles Street, Milford Haven between May 17-21 at 7.30pm.