Dynolwaith At Sherman Theatre Cardiff Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lisa Warren
Dynolwaith is written and performed by Leo Drayton, a writer from Cardiff, who draws on his personal experiences as a trans man. It’s his debut full play (you would not know this), is deeply personal and told in Welsh.
The play starts in 2015. The central character is Jac, a young trans man “born in the wrong body”, starting transition. The depicts his search for self-identity, the tension that builds as relationships are strained, the fragility of the support he once relied upon, and what happens when a final rejection pushes him to the brink he “hurls himself into oblivion”, testing the limits of his body and mind.
Leo’s performance felt raw, truthful, and unflinchingly vulnerable. There were moments of reminiscing the 2015 trends of teens , of new male banter shenanigans and being one of the boys which allowed humour to break through small, sharp, sometimes unexpected quips. Then there were moments where the weight of refusal, misunderstanding, and pain hit hard. I found myself giggling at the ways Jac tried to make ordinary life work amidst the chaos of inner identity; then I sniffled in scenes where promise was ruptured by rejection; and by the end, my heart was heavy with compassion for what this young man endured and still endures, the emotional labour of living in a body not entirely accepted, of seeking affirmation, of standing in limbo between what you are and what the world allows.
The staging, lighting, and sound design all supported Leo’s journey rather than overshadowing it: subtle shifts in light, ambient sound, silences that spoke louder than words. The team behind the scenes created a space where Jac’s story could breathe.
The decision to have bilingual captions made the performance more accessible and reinforced the universality of the story. We also had a BSL interpreter who emoted every word beautifully.
I didn’t know what to expect. I had never been to a Welsh-spoken play before, and certainly not one with subtitles. But from the moment Dynolwaith began at the Sherman Theatre, I realised I was witnessing something very special. There were times I didn’t even bother reading the subtitles. I didn’t need to. Leo Drayton’s use of the Welsh language was beautiful, emotional, and powerful.
I understood. I felt it.
His words carried so much resonance that they translated into beautiful English prose without me having to follow along. In particular, one paragraph, full of T alliteration, was mesmerising. It reminded me of listening to one of my favourite rappers, Blackalicious, in Alphabet Aerobics. Each word articulated with precision, rhythm, and flair. I was transfixed by the eloquence of it, every syllable landing with impact.
And it wasn’t just the language, it was the whole journey. I felt confident in Leo’s words, and I felt every moment he lived through on stage. I was on that journey with him. The joy of realisation when you finally find someone who understands you. The heartbreak when those who love you cannot share or accept that truth. The easy acceptance by some of your best friends that you were so worried about. They just saw you. Not the body. But you! The fight to have lifesaving surgery. To be seen as you are, to love freely, to be ordinary. It all played out before us, raw and unfiltered.
A co-production between Frân Wen and the Sherman Theatre. Directed by Gethin Evans, with Kayley Roberts as Assistant Director, Cara Evans (Design), K.J. (Lighting), Melfed Melys (Composer) and Sam Jones (Sound Designer).
I didn’t realise till after that they were in the audience with me, filled with tears and awestruck from a performance they must know backwards but like us taken on the journey of Jac’s deeply heart felt words, movement and storytelling. On these rare moments I broke away from being transfixed by Jac I saw the audience absolutely captivated within the odyssey of this protagonist’s words.
He showed us what it has meant to be trans in Wales in the last decade and the complexity of identity, the necessity of support and kindness, and the price of both acceptance and its absence. It speaks to young people who might be questioning, to families who may be unsure how to support, to older people who might hold biases or lack understanding. It invites all of us to reflect, to listen, to compassion.
It’s a story that is painful, beautiful, enraging, hopeful. I urge anyone who can to see it especially if you think this isn’t your story, because precisely that is the reason you must see it. This story needs to be told, to be heard, to be shared.
I give it a 5/5 Deeply moving epic debut.
Rating: 5/5
The Sherman Theatre (Sherman Cymru between 2007–2016) is in the Cathays district of Cardiff. Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4YE
www.shermantheatre.co.uk/event/dynolwaith/
Dynolwaith ran at Sherman from 26 September to 4 October 2025.
At every performance there are captions in both Welsh and English.
Overview
26 Sep – 4 Oct 2025
Choose Your Own Price Previews £14 – £18. Choose Your Own Price Standard £16 – £24. Under 25s Half Price. Concessions £2 Off.
Important Information
16+. This piece contains strong and sensitive material and includes, Strobe, Flashing lights, Smoke/Haze, and Loud sounds.
The Sherman Theatre has Wellbeing support after some performances offering informal chats to anyone affected by the performance.