Theatre review: The Letter Killers Club

Molly F. Stubbs

Whether you once landed a leading role that made your friends envy you or you’re a seasoned school theater spectator, youth theater has probably played a role in your life. In my case, every Saturday of my sixteenth year, I was thrust into the arms of amateur theater educators, if only to give my parents some peace and quiet.

Despite the nervous trembling of my breath, the inevitable breaking of props, and the slight embarrassment that overshadows everything, the memories of my time as a young actor are still beautiful after all this.

But my time in youth theatre, like that of many others, was governed by the tried and tested and widely used production method of “do as you are told”. Our teachers gave us pre-selected scripts of well-known plays, chose roles, staged scenes, gave parents strict instructions on costumes and took us backstage. In many ways, this is how professional theatre productions work too.

However, the students of the Awen Project had creative control over their latest production completely in their hands. In January 2024, the democratic school, which holds its classes in the forests of South Wales, launched a curriculum developed by Jonathan Powell Field and Valentine Gigandet that “designed to facilitate students (aged 11-15) to write, design, direct, perform and market their own theatre show”. After six months of work, the result, The Letter Killers Club, premiered to a sold-out crowd at Kings Road Yard on July 4.

When you read that title, you might be scratching your head in a little confusion, as I did a few nights ago. The Letter Killers Club is not a play you’ve ever heard of, because it’s not really a play at all. It’s a novel by Soviet author Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky, which the students used as inspiration for their screenplay.

Fantastic yarns

The narrative follows a secret group of storytellers who, since their society has banned everything from fairy tales to tomes, take their lives into their own hands every time they meet. The members of the Letters Killers Club spin fantastical tales that are played out in full to the audience, while they are pursued by the ruling conglomerates who take drastic measures against them.

Adapting a story for the stage is a huge feat in itself, and one that even some established playwrights have not attempted. But with a combination of dynamic drama, haunting suspense and pantomime comedy, all in just the right amounts and at just the right times, the cast and crew of

The Letter Killers Club makes the feat look like child’s play. The plot is astonishingly sophisticated in its complexity and pleasingly well-rounded, so much so that its script could (and definitely should) be published and performed by theater groups across the country.

Immerse yourself

Even more impressive is the cast’s ability to perform so closely with the audience. Black box theatres are known for providing an intimate experience that even seasoned professionals find difficult to get used to. With the fourth wall at Kings Road Yard arguably as thin as it gets, I was pleasantly surprised by the actors’ dedication to their work, which at times created an effortless immersion that made the hour-long performance feel more like fifteen minutes. I was satisfied, but at the same time wanted to see much more of what the Awen Project students could do.

Considering that the six main actors took on multiple roles and switched between them in the blink of an eye, what was remarkable was the captivating expressiveness of Imeldamai Pyke, the angelic voice of Neve Darlington, the archetypal command of Osian Bridges, the tremendous stage presence of Isabelle Jennings, the hilarious cross-casting of Rowan Fernando and the stunning, far-beyond-his-age characterization of Dexter Henson.

The narrative provided a solid foundation, and the cherry on top was the range of high-quality techniques employed by the cast, the best of which was undoubtedly the puppetry of Celyn Hudson, Arthur Croad and Will Maybury.

Complemented by Chloe Maybury, Ruby Henson and Ethan Wyatt behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly, and Josh Armstrong and Manny Cole on lighting and projections, I was quite annoyed that there was no proscenium theater opening behind the black curtain, which would have been much better suited to the quality of the show unfolding before me.

Despite its enviable quality (which my youth theatre groups never achieved), what I loved most about The Letter Killers Club was its imperfections. Having managed to get a front row seat by chance, I not only witnessed a riveting performance, but also funny snapshots that spontaneously appeared, curtains that ripped, hands that shook and the actors’ thumbs up in congratulations from the opposite wings.

Higher experience

In my day, I would have considered these occurrences as things that went “wrong,” but when I observed them in The Letter Killers Club and still found myself immediately drawn back into the story, the only possible conclusion was that they added to the experience. While the team will likely view them as points for improvement in the future, these moments added a level of authenticity and charm that I would not have passed up in the pursuit of “perfection.”

They remind us that the magic of theatre lies not only in flawless execution, but also in the unfiltered passion and camaraderie of the performers. Every squeaky microphone and technical difficulty is, in its own way, something to be proud of – proof that the Awen Project students have created an exemplary theatre experience from the cast to the final applause.

The founder of the project, Charlotte Church, expressed my feelings in her statement: “When I started Awen, I hoped that students would do something like this. This is not just a school play – this is a group of passionate young people who have started a theatre company and in the process learned all the skills needed to build such a company. I couldn’t be prouder.”

The Letter Killers Club highlights the importance of creative works in a world that doesn’t give them their due, and is a wonderful fit for its unorthodox production team, who, with the help of their educators, have overcome the limitations that plague their characters. I hope with all my heart that this group produces more of this stage quirkiness, and that I’ll have a front row seat to it.

The Letter Killers Club runs until July 7 at the Kings Road Yard Studio in Pontcanna. The remaining tickets are available here. If you’d like to find out more about the Awen project, you can find more information on their website. Additional updates will be posted regularly on the student-run Instagram.