Fancy Becoming a Reviewer?

The following article is in Welsh. Scroll down for the English version.

Critic Riley

Ydych Chi’n Ffansio Eich Hun fel Adolygydd Theatr?

Os felly, hoffai Theatr y Torch glywed gennych!

Capsiwn: Val Ruloff a Riley, ein hadolgwyr campus yn Theatr y Torch

Ydych chi’n mwynhau gweld ffilmiau a chynyrchiadau o bob genre yn eich theatr leol? Ydych chi’n cymryd nodiadau o fanylion pwysig am ffilm … elfennau technegol, ei chymeriadau a’i llinellau stori? Efallai eich bod chi awydd gweld eich hun fel beirniad? Os felly, hoffai Theatr y Torch, Aberdaugleddau glywed gennych chi!

Ar hyn o bryd, mae gan Theatr y Torch ddau adolygydd rheolaidd sy’n ysgrifennu am sioeau a ffilmiau y maent wedi’u gweld yn y Torch. Yna caiff eu hadolygiadau eu cyfieithu i’r Gymraeg a chyhoeddir y ddau fersiwn ar wefan y Theatr i bawb eu darllen.

Mae Val Ruloff o Benfro wedi bod yn adolygydd Theatr y Torch ers bron i flwyddyn. Mae hi wir yn mwynhau ymweld â’r Torch ac ysgrifennu ei barn i eraill ei darllen.

“Mae’n brofiad newydd i mi a does gen i ddim cefndir newyddiadurol. Rwy’n mwynhau gwylio perfformiadau yn fawr a gobeithio bod fy marn yn werthfawr iawn i bobl eraill ei darllen. Mae’r Torch yn bwysig iawn yma yn Sir Benfro a phan holwyd i mi a allwn wneud rhai o’m sylwadau ac i roi fy adborth, cytunais ac mae’r cyfan wedi mynd o’r fan honno,” meddai Val.

Riley, 12 oed, yw ein hadolygydd ieuengaf. Mae’n mwynhau gwylio ffilmiau newydd, yn enwedig rhai actol sy’n llawn cyffro megis Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 a Spiderman Across the Spiderverse. Ei adolygiad cyntaf erioed oedd Matilda the Musical.

“Rwyf wrth fy modd yn cyfrannu at Theatr y Torch. Mae’n wych gweld fy adolygiadau ar y wefan, ac mae’n grêt bod pobl yn cymryd fy nghyngor ar ba ffilm i’w gwylio. Mae fy athrawon a ffrindiau yn yr ysgol yn darllen fy adolygiadau ac yn mynd i’w gweld oherwydd fy adolygiad innau ac mae hynny’n deimlad da iawn. Mae’n dda bod yn rhan o rywbeth i’w hyrwyddo,” meddai Riley sy’n methu aros i’r ffilm Transformers newydd gael ei rhyddhau’n fuan er mwyn iddo allu rhoi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni i gyd!

Mae Theatr y Torch yn chwilio am fwy o bobl frwdfrydig i adolygu dramâu, sioeau a ffilmiau ar eu cyfer fel yr eglura Chelsey Gillard, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig Theatr y Torch:

“Hoffem i sbectrwm eang o bobl â diddordebau amrywiol ddod yn feirniaid ac yn adolygwyr. Yn gyfnewid am eu hadolygiadau (y maent yn eu e-bostio ychydig ddyddiau ar ôl eu hymweliad) maent yn cael dau docyn am ddim i ddod i sioeau / ffilmiau o’u dewis. Mae wir yn gyfle gwych i gyhoeddi eu hadolygiadau ar-lein i bawb eu gweld. Byddant hefyd yn cael eu gwahodd i nosweithiau’r wasg ar gyfer cynyrchiadau’r Torch.”

Ymunodd Chelsey â Theatr y Torch yn 2022 ac oni bai am ei hoffter o adolygu cynyrchiadau theatr, gallai ei gyrfa fod wedi cymryd llwybr arall yn hawdd.

“Dechreuais adolygu sioeau am y tro cyntaf pan oeddwn yn 19 oed. Roeddwn wedi gadael y brifysgol a doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod i ba gyfeiriad roeddwn i eisiau mynd gyda fy mywyd. Sefydlwyd cynllun yn fy nhref enedigol i weld sioe a’i hadolygu. Y sioe oedd Love Steals Us From Loneliness gan Gary Owen a lwyfannwyd gan National Theatre Wales mewn clwb roc lleol. Hwn oedd y tro cyntaf i mi weld ysgrifennu newydd neu weld sioe mewn gofod theatr anhraddodiadol. Dw i’n meddwl bod Gary dal heb faddau i mi am yr adolygiad (sori Gary!),” chwarddodd Chelsey.

“Fe wnaeth gweld nifer o sioeau ar draws de Cymru ddal fy nychymyg ac fe wnes i fynd yn ôl i’r brifysgol i astudio Saesneg a Drama. Gwelais y fath amrywiaeth o sioeau a ddatblygodd fy chwaeth artistig yn wirioneddol ac mae yna sioeau a welais dros 10 mlynedd yn ôl yr wyf yn dal i gyfeirio atyn nhw yn fy mhrosesau ymarfer tan heddiw. Datblygais fy meddwl beirniadol, a rhoddodd wir werthfawrogiad i mi o’r holl elfennau gwahanol sy’n rhan o wneud sioe.

“Nawr fel cyfarwyddwr dw i wir yn gwerthfawrogi adolygiadau o fy ngwaith. Rwy’n credu y dylai theatr fod yn sgwrs gyda’r gynulleidfa, felly mae’n wych cael gwybod beth mae pobl yn ei feddwl. Weithiau gall pobl eraill weld pethau mewn sioe nad ydych erioed wedi sylwi arnyn nhw o’r blaen neu roi gwerthfawrogiad newydd i chi o themâu penodol yn y ddrama. Gall brifo pan ddaw adolygiadau negyddol i’r golwg, ond mae’n rhaid i mi atgoffa fy hun na allwch chi blesio pawb a bod celf yn oddrychol!” meddai Chelsey.

Os hoffech chi ddod yn adolygydd yn Theatr y Torch, cysylltwch gyda Charlotte Spencer ar charlotte@torchtheatre.co.uk

Critic Val Ruloff

Do you enjoy seeing films and productions of all genres at your local theatre? Do you take notes of important details about a movie… its technical elements, characters and story lines? Maybe you fancy yourself as a critic? If so, the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, would like to hear from you.

The Torch Theatre has two regular reviewers who write about shows and films that they have seen at the Torch. Their reviews are then translated to the Welsh language and both versions are published on the theatre’s website.

Val Ruloff from Pembroke has been a Torch Theatre reviewer for nearly a year. She really enjoys visiting the Torch and writing her views for others to read: “It’s a new experience for me and I don’t have any journalistic background. I really enjoy watching performances and I hope my opinions are very valuable for other people to read. The Torch is very precious here in Pembrokeshire and when I was approached to ask if I could make some of my comments known and to give my feedback, I agreed and it’s all gone from there.”

Riley, 12, is the theatre’s youngest reviewer. He enjoys watching new films, especially action ones that are full of excitement such as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 and Spiderman Across the Spiderverse. His first review was of Matilda the Musical.

“I do love contributing to the Torch Theatre. It’s great to see my reviews on the website, and great that people take my advice on what movie to watch. My teachers and friends at school read my reviews and go and see films because of my review and that’s a really good feeling. It’s good to be part of a system to promote them,” said Riley who can’t wait for the new Transformers film to be released soon.

The Torch Theatre is looking for more enthusiastic people to review plays, shows and films.

Chelsey Gillard, artistic director explains: “We’d like a wide spectrum of people with varying interests to become critics and reviewers. In return for their reviews (which they email to us a couple of days after their visit) they get two free tickets to come to shows/ films of their choice. It really is a great opportunity to get their reviews published online for all to see. They will also be invited to press nights for Torch productions.”

Chelsey joined the Torch Theatre in 2022 and if it was not for her love of reviewing theatre productions, her career could have easily taken another path.

“I first started reviewing shows when I was 19. I’d dropped out of university and didn’t know what direction I wanted to go with my life. A scheme was set up in my home town to see a show and review it and I signed up. The show was Gary Owen’s Love Steals Us From Loneliness staged by National Theatre Wales in a local rock club. It was the first time I’d seen new writing or seen a show in a non-traditional theatre space. I think Gary still hasn’t forgiven me for the review (sorry, Gary!),” said Chelsey.

“Seeing lots of shows across South Wales captured my imagination and I ended up going back to university to study English and drama. I saw such a variety of shows that really developed my artistic taste and there are shows I saw over 10 years ago that I still reference in my rehearsal processes now. I developed my critical thinking, and it gave me a real appreciation of all the different elements that go into making a show.

“Now as I director I really appreciate reviews of my work. I believe theatre should be a conversation with the audience, so it’s great to find out what people think. Sometimes other people can see things in a show that you’ve never noticed before, or give you a new appreciation of certain themes in the play. It can hurt when negative reviews come out, but I have to remind myself you can’t please everyone and that art is subjective.“

If you’d like to become a reviewer at the Torch Theatre, contact Charlotte Spencer on charlotte@torchtheatre.co.uk.