An Orange in the Subway
‘Cardiff isn’t one city but different cities on different levels.
One for the devils and one for the angels’.
As the concrete streets sting with the cold, Cassie is convinced someone is watching over her. Do guardian angels really walk the streets of Cardiff? Perhaps they do. Perhaps it's all nonsense. Because who would possibly give a s*** about her?!
Performed on those very streets and by the people that inspired it, Owen Thomas' absurd and frenzied new play tackles profound questions from the knee-high perspective of Cardiff's rough sleepers. What does it mean to have a home? Is there any hope to be found here?
And.
Where did that orange come from?
In partnership with Welsh homelessness charity The Wallich, ‘An Orange in the Subway’ will be performed outdoors at Mackenzie Park, Cardiff. Featuring a cross-over cast and creative team of The Wallich service users and seasoned professionals, ‘The Other Room’ embraces its new nomadic normal with this latest production.
24 September 7.30pm - BSL Interpreted Performance by Julie Doyle
Tickets
9 & 10 September
Preview Tickets: £5 (+Booking Fee)
11 - 27 September
(no performances on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday)
Tickets (+Booking Fee): £15 full price
£12 concessions
£5 Jobseekers / Universal Credit
£9 Community Discount.
Service Users free tickets.
HYNT / Personal Assistance / Companion Ticket - Free
Age guidance 16+
Content Warnings - There will be flashing lights and loud music during the performance, as well as strong language, simulated drug use and alcohol misuse.
We can provide more information about these content warnings and the wider themes of the play on request.
Afternoon Relaxed Performances
Saturday 27 September, 2.30pm
During the run of An Orange in the Subway all our afternoon performances will be Relaxed Performances as this will be performed during the daytime hours so there is more natural light in our outdoor show.
This means the volume on the sound is turned down, there is a more relaxed feel about the performance, so if you need to move around you can.
You can bring younger audiences to the performance, but please be aware the shows content will be remain the same and we are advertising this as a 16+.
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
Cast:
Osian Lloyd
François Pandolfo
Mica Williams
With additional performances with Mags Cunningham
Creative Team:
Writer - Owen Thomas
Director - Dan Jones
Production Manager - Nia Thomson
Set & Costume Desginer - Delyth Evans
Composer - Tic Ashfield
Lighting Designer - Katy Morison
Assistant Director - Mali Rhys Thomas
Stage Manager - Emily Howard
Community Director - Samantha Alice Jones
Marketing and Press - Suzanne Carter
LOCATION
Location:
Parc, Mackenzie, Park PlaceCardiff, Wales, CF10 3AT
(Behind National Museum Cardiff and next to University of Wales, Main building)
What 3 Words location - https://what3words.com/spoke.scout.reader
FACILITIES & ACCESSIBILITY
It’s an outdoor show! Bring your own…
We encourage you to wrap up warm, grab a brolly and come prepared.
It is not a promenade production, we will all on one site.
There will not be any traditional seating.
Limited seating will be available for those who need it, but we encourage audiences to stand, or to embrace the themes of the play and use scraps of bits and bobs to sit on the floor.
There will be limited scraps of tarpaulin and cardboard available for those who want to experience the show this way.
Feel free to bring your own seating options: if you have a camping chair or picnic blanker that you've happy to carry to and from the location.
There is no permanent cover for when it rains. So keep an eye on the weather and be sure to bring a coat or an umbrella.
This may not be the most comfortable theatre experience, but it will be an authentic and unique one.
There are no toilets facilities of refreshments for sale, but we welcome your bring your own refreshments.
If you are looking for a bite to eat or drink before the show, our friends over at the Pen & Wing pub will be open and serving food until 9pm and you can use their facilities.
There are also nearly toilets open until at the Student Support Services below Cardiff Students Union on Park Place until 8pm which is open to the public.
There is nearby parking near the performance space.
The area has a concrete path to enter the space and the area of the performance is on grass.
If you are bringing an assistance dog with you, do let us know and we can make sure there's a bowl of water ready them.
If you are a wheelchair user, please let us know and we can make sure we have reserved a wheelchair space in the area for you. We will have a temporary path to support wheelchair and mobility scooters in place.
Digital Programme
Click the link to read the programme details.
Two Sides of a Struggle
After the hugely successful Story Project performance in 2024, the service users/creatives of The Wallich were not ready to stop. They still had a lot to say, a lot to share, and a lot that audiences of Cardiff need to hear. In 2024, with the kindness of Michael Carklin at USW donating their space, The Wallich creatives began to devise their own play called ‘Two Sides of a Struggle’, with dramaturgical help and writing from Holly Carpenter (Dumpy Biscuit, 2024). This play speaks of their experiences, exploring scenarios within the mental health sector, what it’s like to be new to this country, and what it is REALLY like to be in their shoes. Two Sides of a Struggle is a legacy from The Story Project, and we want to continue that legacy, to keep telling stories and to keep the words of The Wallich service users alive.
The performance is a 30 minute extract of their writing. Watch this space to see when the full version will be out in the near future.
Tour Guide Walk - A Cardiff Montage: Coal, Empire, Solidarity
20 September, 4-5pm
John W working with Invisible Cardiff & The Wallich will be delivering a guided walk through Cardiff, called A Cardiff Montage: Coal, Empire, Solidarity.
The Wallich and Invisible Cities walking tours gives you a different perspective on the history, people, and places of this city.
A Cardiff Montage Walking Tour
Saturday 20 September, 4pm
Running time: 60 minutes
Start: Aneurin Bevan Statue, Queen Street, Cardiff
Finish: Spanish Civil War Memorial, Alexandra Gardens, Cardiff
Fee per person £10+BF. Proceeds will be going to The Wallich homeless charity in Wales.
An Orange in the Subway is made possible thanks to CulutreStep Investment through A&B Cymru