Where stars are born
Stephanie Colderick lifts the lid on the beloved Welsh theatre company that has produced one of Wales’ hottest talents...
NESTLED in Treorchy is the Park and Dare Theatre. And behind the unassuming side street door is an impressive auditorium that has been home to Selsig Musical Theatre Society for 74 years.
Selsig has created a unique, inclusive and friendly theatre family that has been entertaining the local community for years.
The theatre company has produced some huge names, such as Callum Scott Howells, who shot to fame on the Channel 4 show It’s A Sin, yet there is so much more to Selsig than fame – a strong, supportive family whose members join and then simply never leave.
Chairman Matthew Preece, who, aged 37, has been involved in the society for 25 years, spoke about how theatre is loved in the Valleys.
He said: “It is part of the cultural fabric of the Rhondda, particularly Treorchy... it’s one of those hobbies that’s difficult to put into words. There’s so much interest in it and you wouldn’t think it.”
Selsig recently put on their first show since 2019, Selsig Comes Home – a success.
Matthew said: “We always get great support from the community, which we are very thankful for as an amateur company.”
Selsig was created by miners and with nowhere to rehearse at the time they headed up the local mountain. Here there was a river shaped like a sausage and hence the name Selsig [sausage in Welsh] was born. Their first-ever show was a production of three-act opera Maritana in 1948.
Matthew said: “I always like that it was built by the people for the people, built by the miners.” Soon, the miners made the Park and Dare their home, where they performed regularly and Selsig’s presence in the community deepened.
Matthew said: “It’s quite a unique building because you wouldn’t think there’s a 700-capacity theatre right in the centre of what is considered a fairly small village in south Wales, in the Rhondda valleys. So I think its impact on the community is massive.”
For Matthew himself his, and many others, earliest memory is going to Park and Dare to watch Selsig perform, calling it a “focal point” for the community. Selsig is being carefully passed from generation to generation. He said: “The next generation has stepped up to carry the torch... which is, again, symbolic of the area in itself, this is generational, it’s important for us.”
Chatting to Matthew I learnt about the “golden generation” who started in the society in their early twenties and have now taken on important committee roles running Selsig.
He said: “None of them are professional actors or singers except one, but they all could quite easily be. They are teachers, local councillors, beauticians or nurses and they’ve come through together. They have sort of formed the core and the backbone of the society. And it’s beautiful to see now that as they’re sort of hitting their mid-30s, slowly going into their 40s, they’ve taken on these new roles, it’s just really lovely.”
Nichola Fennell is part of the golden generation and now the society’s membership secretary. Joining aged 20 and now aged 36, she simply never left Selsig because of the second family she has built there.
She said: “It means the world to me, to be honest, I’ve made friends for life through Selsig. I would do everything I possibly can to keep it running… the community feel of it, the fact that we are such a tight-knit group. We are friends outside the society, it’s a feeling I can’t really describe just being part of something that is really special.”
Like Matthew, Nichola’s first Selsig experience was when she was younger, going along to the Park and Dare with her Nan to watch them perform. Now Nichola has only missed performing in two shows since she started, one when she was pregnant with her daughter, now five, and the other when she was moving house.
Recently it came full circle for the singer as her young daughter went along to Selsig Comes Home to watch her mam perform for the first time.
Nichola said: “We all absolutely adore being on the stage. It’s not really like hard work... it’s a special thing to be passed on. I’m proud to be a part of it.
“We would never want to get paid for it because we absolutely love it. When you love something so much and you get so much pleasure out of it’s not a chore.”
Another key member is Dale Evans, the current musical director. Dale was quite literally born into Selsig as his mother who “lived and breathed Selsig” performed while pregnant on stage and he has never known anything different.
He said: “I complain about it a lot, but I’ve been very lucky because it’s a fortunate thing to grow up with. I love it, it’s like a second home... it’s a brilliant place to perform. There’s nothing like it when you fill it up and the show goes well. It’s that feeling of making people happy giving them three hours to switch off from their normal lives.”
Nichola echoed Dale’s thoughts about performing for the community, saying: “You can’t really describe the feeling of being on stage in front of an audience. It’s quite addictive.”
Selsig welcomes anyone, the only rule is you have to be 16 or over to join. You do not have to have had any musical or theatre experience before joining.
Matthew said: “We’ve got an open-door policy, it’s not exclusive at all, anyone who wants to come can come along. You’ve never sung before, you’ve never acted before, you’ve never danced before, you can come along.”
It is this warm welcome, friendly smiles and genuine love that keeps people walking through Selsig’s doors and staying.
Matthew said: “The remarkable thing about theatre, amateur theatre in particular, is that it has such a diverse mix of people from all walks of life, it’s the most inclusive environment. Wherever you are from, whatever your background, whatever you’ve been through, or whatever you are going through, you’ve got this place where you can forget about rest of the world for two hours.
“This real sense of belonging, this real sense of coming home, you feel at home... the camaraderie and the friendship is so important. And that’s why people keep coming back. Ironically, the show element can almost become secondary. It doesn’t matter what the show is, because you’re there with all your best friends.”
One of the famous faces to come out of Selsig, Callum Scott Howells is now best known for his role as Colin Morris-jones in the Channel 4 show It’s A Sin. He is currently performing in Cabaret in the West End.
Matthew remembers the moment Callum first entered Selsig. He said: “I think he was 10 years old, and I just thought that boy is going to be a star. Every single person knew, there was not a doubt in our minds. As soon as he opened his mouth, you just knew what he was able to do on the stage.”
Matthew spoke about how Callum has remained very humble to his roots and has visited Selsig since. Describing Callum as a “Valleys boy”, he said: “Whenever he pops back home he’s great with us he’s always chatted about experiences with us and things like that, he’s a very humble boy. He’s a Valleys boy and he always will be.”
And, as Selsig made its long-awaited return to Park and Dare this autumn, it’s fair to say the cast and crew’s emotions probably got the better of them – it’s been three years without a show after all, Matthew said.
“To actually get back in that theatre room to hear that wall of sound again for the first time, it was really moving.”
I just thought that boy is going to be a star. Every single person knew, there was not a doubt in our minds
and play music in other countries. I keep hearing that there are incredible music fans in the UK and I’m looking forward to playing for them.”
Her UK tour includes two stops in Wales, starting with the Gate in Cardiff on November 11, then Bangor’s Blue Sky Café on November 12.
Among other numbers, she’ll be playing songs from her third studio album, Thirties. Described as “a deviation”, it resists contemplating the big questions of the world and instead invites listeners to look inward, via emotional melodies, intimate storytelling and soaring vocals.
She also released the Vultures and Ellen EPS in 2021, celebrating her darker side and folk song writing roots respectively – and her next record is already in the pipeline.
“It’s getting mixed as we speak,” she says. “It’s going to come out late spring or early summer. It’s focusing mostly on my childhood and teen years and how simple life was back then.”
She’ll be supported in Cardiff by west Wales indie trio Sky Barkers, who make groove-based, hook heavy, energy driven music which is “rooted in songwriting but with a wonky edge”. Extra support comes from Cardiff-based Wolfy, who fuses poetry, spoken word and creative writing.
Andrews says she is particularly looking forward to visiting Wales.