This Autumn, theatremakers Frân Wen and Sherman Theatre are teaming up once again to stage Dynolwaith; a brand new, Welsh-language play following one man’s deeply personal story.
Written and performed by Leo Drayton, Dynolwaith (loosely translated as Manmade) is a bold and honest trans masc story inspired by the playwright’s personal experiences; amidst a community striving to have its voices heard, here’s one man’s account of his unique trans journey. It will be directed by Frân Wen's Artistic Director, Gethin Evans, with Kayley Roberts as Assistant Director.
Working alongside them will be Designer Cara Evans, Lighting Designer KJ, Composer Melfed Melys and Sound Designer Sam Jones.
Dynolwaith will be the companies’ second co-production following their smash hit 2023 play Imrie (★★★★ The Stage) and likewise offers a platform to unheard voices in our communities.
It will open at the Sherman Theatre on 26 September and following a week’s run there will tour to Aberystwyth, Caernarfon, Bangor and Bala.
It’s 2015. Jac is a young trans man, born in the wrong body, beginning the search for the life he knows he’s meant to live.
As he begins his transition, tensions rise, relationships strain and the support he relies on starts to feel more fragile than ever. When a final rejection pushes Jac to his breaking point, he hurls himself into oblivion, testing the limits of both his body and his mind.
Will those he loves stand by him when it matters most?
With captions in English and Welsh at every performance, Dynolwaith is a deeply personal and heartfelt Welsh-language story of one trans man’s self-discovery, resilience, and transformation.
Alongside the production, Frân Wen and Sherman Theatre will work with partners across the community to celebrate broader trans lives with a series of engagement events, offering a warm and creative platform for sharing experiences and stories.
Leo Drayton said “It is a privilege to get to tell this story especially in the Welsh language. At a time when the trans community is being targeted and misrepresented it is even more important now that our voices are heard. And I couldn’t imagine a better team to help me tell this story. Gethin and the teams at Frân Wen and the Sherman have helped me build a play I am immensely proud of, turning the ideas in my head into words on a page and a character on stage.”
Gethin Evans said: “The trans community has an unlimited wealth of stories to share, each one charting one person’s unique, transformative journey. Leo’s own, tender account is extraordinary, and will be met with the empathy and creativity that Frân Wen strive to bring to all our work.
“Having worked closely with Leo over the past two years, we can’t wait to share Leo’s words and open a space for others to share theirs. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Sherman again, bringing Leo’s blistering first play to audiences in the capital city before reaching communities across Wales.”
Julia Barry, Chief Executive at Sherman Theatre, said: “Sherman Theatre’s aim is to imagine a world made more equitable, more compassionate, more unified by the power of theatre. This production is a perfect example of how we put that into action; an authentic sharing of one particular story, married with a series of warm and safe events for others to share their own, unique experiences. This is a very special collaboration indeed.”